


Obsessive

by Ein_Nachkussen



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Angst, But this is more based off of realistic stalker behaviours, College, Creepy, Drama, I guess you can call Alfred a Yandere, Implied Relationships, M/M, Obsessive Behavior, One-Sided Relationship, References to Drug Use, Romance, Stalker Alfred, Stalking, Unrequited Love, stalker au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-15
Updated: 2018-01-15
Packaged: 2019-01-17 17:16:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 105,914
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12370332
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ein_Nachkussen/pseuds/Ein_Nachkussen
Summary: What started out as Alfred's intense crush on Arthur Kirkland evolves into a dangerous obsession, and no one is safe.





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The targets of stalkers can be anyone from former partners to complete strangers. The initial motivation for a stalker is to establish an emotional connection and an intimate relationship. The stalking is maintained by the gratification that comes from the belief that they are closely linked to their victim.

Since the first second that Alfred saw him, he was hooked, and he knew in that moment that his life was never going to be the same again.

It was just supposed to be a normal semester, and Alfred was going to keep his head down, take his classes and study to the best of his ability, graduate and perhaps even seek higher education. He didn’t want to become distracted or distressed by too many people, not since high school has he reached out to anyone other than his brother for company. He was a lone wolf who spent his days moving from class to class and then into the library, sometimes not uttering a single word for hours on end. He was the definition of peace, nothing bothered him and he bothered nobody, and that was how he liked it.

He had been hurt in the past, and he was mercilessly bullied by the hands of people who he thought were his friends left him tainted on the inside, but he healed, he healed and moved on. Even though he considered himself to be a bit of a loner, he wasn’t a jerk: he’d still smile at people when they talked to him, and be as nice as he could be without getting too close to the person. He knew how to be likeable, it was how he survived high school. He knew that he was known as a relatively nice person, when he wanted to be. He didn’t want to be aligned with people, and he was wary around anyone who wasn’t his brother, Matthew, who knew exactly what Alfred was like.  
Alfred knew this was bad for him, and he knew that eventually he’d be on his own, especially after college. But he decided to save the effort of fixing his problem for another day. 

It wasn’t that he didn’t like people, it was just that… He didn’t feel a need for them... He was fine with making his own way and being his own hero. 

He did keep some aspects of his personality in check, he knew that he shouldn’t say everything that’s on his mind the second he thinks it, because that can come off as rude. He was aware of his impulsivity and drastic mood changes. He knew that he had darker aspects of himself, but he preferred to just let that be. He had no real issues, so why should he have to worry about it?

It was his second Fall semester during his second year of community college in Rockford Illinois, where he was studying mathematical modelling, with hopes to complete a bachelor of science majoring in mathematics in further university. He was good at math in High School, so maybe he could teach it in the future if he did well enough in college or in University.

The Fall had completely kicked in by the time the first day of classes came. The golden, orange and red leaves crumbled under his feet as he walked across the campus courtyard, seeing more group of students emerge from their first classes of the day. The bitter wind caressed the exposed parts of Alfred’s neck, that his red scarf failed to cover. It looked like this was going to be an unusually cold Fall this year, and Alfred was prepared for it. He held himself tightly as a strong gust of wind roared through the courtyard, blowing more dead leaves all around Alfred. Alfred shivered, regretting wearing a simple fleece shirt under his blue jacket, not even his black jeans could protect his legs from the cold. He continued to walk through it, thankful that at least it wasn’t snowing, yet.

Nonetheless, he made it to his first class on time, and went straight for the seat in the far back corner, the least likely place to be called on, in his experience.  
This was a class that was based on studying statistics, collecting data and analysing it, something that Alfred understood in school, so this should be easy for him to grasp. But then again, usually the kids who took math classes in college were smarter than that anyway.

To his dismay, the class filled quickly and so students started sitting around his area, with one even sitting right next to him.  
The student took out his supplies loudly, flashing stickers of the Italian flag and insignias and crests that Alfred assumed were of Italian sports teams that scattered the hard cover of his notebook, and ‘Lovino Vargas’ was written on the cover, it was something that Alfred had never seen before, and Alfred assumed that perhaps this was the students name. The guy himself even looked nothing but Italian, with soft olive skin, dark shiny hair and dark green eyes under what Alfred hoped to be just a resting-bitch-face. Alfred didn’t say a word and neither did the guy, perhaps they were similar in their preference for introversion.

That was until the teacher decided that today’s activity was going to involve the students talking to the person next to them. Alfred could hear the Italian sigh in defeat as he turned over to face Alfred, giving him a small smile. After the teacher explained the relatively mundane task, Alfred finally spoke for the first time today.

“Hey,” Alfred muttered.

“Hey,” The guy replied, “I’m sorry if I don’t concentrate very well today, I got hardly any sleep last night…” His Italian accent justified his devotion to Italy that was suggested by his stickers.

“Oh yeah?” Alfred asked.

“I only landed here yesterday, that was stupid idea…” he explained, rubbing his head, “The other international students who don’t have jet-lag are so loud and annoying.”

“Where do you stay?” Alfred asked.

“There are dorms on the outskirts of the campus just for international students,” the Italian explained, “They’re pretty nice, and there’s a huge function area on the ground floor, where they seem to hold a lot of parties.”

“That sounds pretty cool,” Alfred admitted.

“Not when your room is right above it, it’s not; it’s a fucking nightmare,” He hissed. “I’m Lovino.”

“Alfred,” Alfred replied, before quickly looking back down to his notebook, he couldn’t even remember what the task was anymore.

Thankfully, Lovino remembered, “So… What are some ways that people collect data…?”

“Right…” Alfred muttered.

“Surveys… Shit, we’re sitting right up the back, all of the ideas are going to be said by the time they get back here,” Lovino explained, “We can just say that all of our ideas were said already.”

Alfred chuckled, “Life hack.”

Lovino chuckled as he crossed his arms over his chest, accepting the plan enough to not even write anything down, however, Alfred quickly noticed Lovino’s eyes narrow and latch onto someone in front of them. Alfred could only assume that it was the guy who sat directly in front of them and to the right, perfectly in the Italian’s line of sight.

“Bastard… Why didn’t he come sit next to me…?” Lovino grumbled.

“You know him?” Alfred asked.

“We met yesterday, he’s another international student, Spanish,” Lovino explained, his cheek going slightly red, “Whatever! I don’t know him that well, he probably didn’t even recognise me.”  
Alfred had to look away so the Italian couldn’t see his smirk. This was one of the reasons why he didn’t get involved in other people’s business, Alfred could see the situation perfectly just as an outsider. Obviously, there was a connection between Lovino and Antonio, and Lovino is obviously in denial over his feelings.  
But then again, Alfred was theorising. He could be completely wrong. But at least it was fun to imagine…

\-----

Alfred hardly spoke in that class after that exchange, however, he did find it entertaining to keep seeing Lovino avoid looking in the Spaniards direction, whom remained oblivious to the eyes behind him.  
He left the class without saying another word to Lovino, determined to get some lunch from his favourite campus café before the lunch-rush started. Then, with his food, he planned to go into the library and perhaps study or fool around on his computer for two hours before another mathematics lecture, where he knew that he wouldn’t have to speak to anyone.

However, just like with his first class, his plans were changed.

He caught a glimpse of Lovino again while he was on his way to the library, but this time the Italian wasn’t alone. He was sitting around a seating area in the middle of the plaza area, sitting around beanbags or cushioned stools.

The group seemed fairly casual and friendly with each other, the group was relatively small and had only a couple of members who were all laughing and talking amongst themselves while sharing a small cardboard container of French fries covered in ketchup. But one member in the group seemed to be the ringleader and had stolen Alfred's attention when he passed the group, because he talked loudly and what he said made everyone else laugh. However, there was something about this guy that made Alfred pause for a moment and glance for a bit longer...  

Alfred couldn’t help but gravitate towards him... Alfred felt like he couldn't move anymore and even from across the plaza, Alfred found his eyes locked and heart racing because of this guy… His smile alone sent Alfred’s heart into overdrive, to the point where Alfred was sure that he was about to faint.

The stranger’s messy blonde hair framed his perfect like-doll face and as Alfred got closer he could start to see the vibrant green shade in his round eyes, which were underneath a set of bolder brunette eyebrows, he looked so mysterious and handsome, Alfred found himself instantly hooked. The closer he got, Alfred could see that the young man looked almost exactly like a doll, with a soft pixie nose, flawless porcelain complexion with red pigments across his cheeks, and as well as perfectly symmetrical features. He looked like a painter’s finest work, and Alfred found himself as the admirer.

He could have been a Disney prince by the animation of his face which followed every word he spoke, and if he was a Disney prince, Alfred felt like he could be his princess… Alfred’s eyes widened and his bottom lip quivered with every unsteady breath, it took so much effort to just breathe and blink, Alfred did not know what to do with himself as he stared hopelessly at this handsome stranger. His wide eyes were fixed on the stranger as he got closer and closer. Alfred had become completely devoid of the world around him, so much so that he nearly tripped over some knee-high stools on his way over the to the group, but he didn’t care.  
This stranger made Alfred’s heart beat in a way that it never has before, looking at him gave Alfred a new experience of joy and wonder, as well as curiosity and excitement. A whirlpool of feelings stirred in his stomach as he got closer and closer, and he never felt better. It was like an emotional high like Alfred had never experienced…

_He had to have him..._

“Um… Alfred?” Lovino frowned, noticing that the American was coming towards the group. Alfred’s heart raced when he found that the stranger was staring at him now, with those wide and beautiful eyes, and the rest of the group were looking at him too.

Before the silence became awkward, Alfred smiled and chuckled a little as he looked at Lovino, completely masking over his newfound infatuation with the Italians friend, “I wasn’t concentrating during class and I forgot if we had any homework.”

"Um," Lovino replied quickly, frowning when Alfred took some space on the cushioned stool, sitting next to another person in Lovino’s group. In this situation Alfred knew that he was the outsider, and that he was inviting himself into the group, or rather; intruding. But, he couldn’t just leave this handsome stranger alone, not for another second.  
“No, it was only an introduction, she just said to read stuff for the next class.”

“Ahh, right, yeah, I was totally zoned out,” Alfred replied, thinking of all he could do to remain in this group—anything to keep around _him_ … Instead of relying on his weak acquaintanceship to Lovino, he turned to the other members of the group while putting on the most charismatic smile he could muster. Alfred decided in that moment that when he is around these people, he was going to be bright, bubbly and confident. Perhaps the kind of guy that  _he_ would like. For the first time in a long time, Alfred wanted people to like him, even though he really only wanted one person to like him, “How’re ya'll guys? My name’s Alfred.”

And to Alfred’s pure joy, the handsome stranger replied first, eagerly reaching from across his place on a comfy red bean-bag to shake Alfred’s hand. “Hello, I’m Arthur.”

_Arthur..._

Alfred nearly became overwhelmed with all the information he received about the handsome stranger. The first thing he noted was how delicate and soft his hand was, like grasping warm porcelain. The second was his accent, English, polished and pitched in the right ways to send a shiver down Alfred’s spine, and even his voice alone was attractive to Alfred, to the point where the American was starting to feel a little hot under the collar. And lastly, his name, _Arthur_ … it rolled off the tongue in just the right way to send heat through Alfred’s entire body.

Alfred’s interest in him gave the word ‘crush’ a new meaning… It was intense from the start, and only grew the longer he was near him, it was like being near him gave Alfred the best kind of high, the world around him was warmer and he saw more colour... Alfred refused to understand why…  
All he knew was that he wanted as much of it as he could.

“Francis, nice to meet you,” the guy next to Arthur said, smiling at Alfred as he brushed his hair behind his ear. There was something about him that gave Alfred an ‘off’ feeling, he sat with his legs crossed and his arms out, one of which rested slightly across Arthur’s shoulder. To Alfred, he looked as French as his accent just from his natural features alone, with blonde and stylish, fluffy neck-length hair, a thin line of hairs across his jawline and narrow blue eyes. There was also a confidence behind his smile that left Alfred feeling anxious, just what was it about this guy?   
Nonetheless, Alfred smiled and nodded at Francis.

The guy to speak was the one next to Alfred, “Gilbert, how are you?”  
The first thing that Alfred noticed about him, other than the German accent was the light colour of his spiked hair, it was nearly white and stood out incredibly against his dark clothing, Alfred struggled to determine whether it was real or not. His skin was also incredibly pale, but he still had a welcoming and confident smile, and violet-tinged eyes, which narrowed above Gilbert's smile, which oozed his confidence.  
Finally, Alfred glanced to the last member of the group, confident that he had earned his place to hang out with them, at least for the time being.

“I’m Ivan,” The last guy replied, and didn’t give enough to tell Alfred exactly what his accent was, but Alfred could instantly tell that he was Eastern European, and judging by his name, Alfred felt that he could make a safe guess in assuming that he’s Russian. His hair was light and fluffy, but not as bright as Gilbert's, and he had a soft smile with violet eyes. He seemed sweet and sincere, although, his posture was rather awkward. 

“Oh, so’re all of you international students?” Alfred asked, receiving nods from amongst the group, “That's pretty cool, I’m no international student, but I'm from Ohio…”  
The fact that Arthur laughed at that gave Alfred a small lift, like a refreshing gust of wind. He needed some more of that. 

He was so transfixed on Arthur, Alfred was sure to watch every breath that Arthur took, with every second that he could spare; he spent it with his eyes on Arthur, which was great for him, because Arthur talked a lot. Whenever there was even the possibility of Arthur speaking, his eyes were already on him. Alfred's crush had intensified within the hour he had spent with Arthur and the group, and already he felt comfortable around these people.

Perhaps it isn’t as hard for Alfred to make friends as he wanted, but then again, it was Arthur that gave him the courage to approach these people in the first place and stay interested in what they had to say…

But Alfred’s high came crashing down when Arthur stood up from his place on the beanbag, preparing to leave. If Alfred didn’t have any self-control, his jaw would have dropped from the sight of Arthur’s figure, while he was thin; the tight black jeans that Arthur wore hugged his legs in all the right places, especially when he bent down to wipe the salt from the French fries off his pants and his green bomber jacket. Alfred mostly noted that he was very thin and petite, enough that Alfred could imagine himself easily being able to pick him up and carry him around.

“I have a class to get to, I’ll see you guys later,” Arthur explained, before smiling as he looked to Alfred with a smile that cut Alfred’s breath short, “Also, tomorrow night there’s going to be a party at the international dorms, you’re welcome to come and bring a friend if you like!”

“Yeah, that’d be cool!” Alfred replied, waving as Arthur started to walk off, but even as the group moved on in the conversation, Alfred’s eyes still followed Arthur.

Something had been set off within Alfred that he never knew existed, and it was so strong that Alfred feared he may not be able to control it. He felt something so strong for Arthur, he barely understood how or why, but he didn’t even care. Arthur was already perfect, perfect for Alfred, and Alfred decided that he was going to stop at nothing until his devotion was met. He didn’t care to listen to reason, nor did he care that he barely knew Arthur, or even knew if he liked men for that matter…  
Alfred was fixed onto him now, and it was going to take a lot to let him go…


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stalkers as a group have an impressive capacity to rationalise, minimise and excuse their behaviours.

Alfred and Arthur met on a Monday and by Friday, Alfred believed that he’d spent hours with the Englishman dancing in his mind, but Alfred didn't care at all because he felt so alive and joyful when he was around him, he was quickly becoming addicted to it. Thankfully for him, Alfred quickly became a member of Arthur’s friendship group, and met with them daily between classes to hang out or eat, it was fantastic, Alfred would have daily doses of Arthur.

When they were together, Alfred watched Arthur almost constantly, but yet, the Englishman seemed totally oblivious to it… it was so damn cute… Alfred found himself fixed onto every movement of Arthur’s face, he loved to watch how he frowned as he stared down at his phone, Alfred loved how his bold eyebrows furrowed and nose twitched every now and then, it was absolutely adorable to watch. Alfred was even been tempted to sneak in a couple of photos on his phone on a couple of occasions, but he was never in the correct position to do it without making it obvious. It was painful to hold back, however, Alfred's memories were good enough to keep him satisfied,  _for now._

Alfred was amazed by how quickly he was accepted into the group, and how nice the other members were to him. He’s just gotten these new friends, and he’s into going to risk losing them by getting caught trying to take photos of Arthur. He was going to pretend to be as charismatic and cool as he needs to be in order to keep these people interested. Anything to stay around Arthur.

Alfred quickly found Arthur on social media, and immediately he took to searching on every platform he could think of, and thankfully for him; Arthur’s Instagram account was linked to everything including his snapchat and twitter. It was like Christmas for Alfred, so many photos, videos and information regarding Arthur was right at his fingertips...   
Alfred noticed that Arthur seemed to be most active on Instagram, and so Alfred spent over two hours scrolling through Arthur’s account and drooling over nearly every selfie, every group photo and every picture. Alfred had gone so far into Arthur's account, he made it all the way back to Arthur’s high school days.

It looked like Arthur did a lot of travelling before coming to Illinois, there were photos of him in Vegas, LA and San Francisco, but these photos also had him questioning Arthur's relationship with Francis, because the Frenchman was in more photos with Arthur than he wasn’t… Could they be together? Was that why Alfred sensed something off about the Frenchman?! The thought alone filled Alfred's heart with dread and anxiety, at just the thought of Alfred's crush being with someone else wanted to make him cry!! However, Alfred found relief when he saw that Arthur’s relationship status was set as ‘single’. Alfred could breathe easily, knowing that there was hope.

Arthur was so amazing… _Oh God_ … He was cool, confident, social, funny, everything that Alfred wanted in a person- His smile caught the attention of everyone around him and the insightful things he had to say kept everyone with him. Alfred was attracted to him like a magnet, it was uncontrollable and so intense, Alfred wanted to break into a sweat just from being around him! He was becoming obsessed with Arthur, he wanted to breathe, sleep and eat everything Arthur!

... He could imagine Arthur being his boyfriend… He loved to think about it, how cute it would be for them to go on dates, kiss in his car, touch each other during a movie, it all made Alfred giddy inside…. But there was one thing stopping him, he couldn’t do it, he couldn’t just ask him, every time Alfred had the opportunity, he froze and immediately changed the topic… He felt like Arthur was just beyond his reach, too good for him, too perfect… But someday he knew that he would have Arthur all to himself, he just needed to wait for it… And keep him safe during that time, then, when he and Arthur are ready: their love would be consummated like destiny intended. It was going to be so beautiful, Alfred's knee bounced in joy while he thought about it, trying so hard to not smile too much. 

He was already protective over Arthur like a boyfriend would be … He was more attentive when another man, no matter who they were, sat too close. While this jealousy was minimal, it was still enough to catch Alfred’s attention. But he just kept telling himself that it was going to be fine, that he and Arthur will be together and he will have nothing to worry about. Arthur will be as devoted to him as Alfred is someday, he can feel it…

“Hey, Alfred,” Francis said, catching Alfred’s attention. “You said you’re from Ohio, how long have you been here?”

“Oh, my brother and I moved here for college last year,” Alfred explained, “We share our dad’s old car and live around 20 minutes from campus.”

“Oh, that’s pretty cool, how old is your brother?” Arthur asked.

“The same age as me, except younger by a couple months,” Alfred explained.

At this explanation, Ivan frowned, “A couple of months, but that meant… wait…?” Ivan looked to Francis for help, Alfred quickly learned that Ivan was struggling to adapt to the constant use of English. Alfred couldn't help but feel a little sorry for him... 

“Meant is past tense, you mean to say, ‘means that’, but you also are asking a weird question, it’s ok,” Francis explained softly to the Russian before returning his attention to Alfred, “What do you mean by a ‘couple of months’?”

“He’s my half-sibling,” Alfred admitted, not interesting into going too far into the story, “He’s a cool dude, he’ll be coming to the party tonight.”

“Cool! Maybe he could start hanging out with us too,” Gilbert suggested.

“Yeah, I guess he’d like that,” Alfred chuckled, before taking the opportunity to change the subject and speak about the party, “So is tonight a B.Y.O or?”

“Yeah, yeah, if you want to get drunk, you’re buying the stuff yourself,” Arthur pointed out.

“You already have a supply ready, don’t you?” Francis chuckled at Arthur, who laughed in response. Because Arthur and Francis were sharing the same bean bag, their eye contact was close enough to make Alfred's hairs stand on end, and Francis had even snaked his arm across Arthur’s shoulders. At seeing this interaction, Alfred could feel a physical strike against his heart-- they weren’t a couple as far as Alfred could tell, but… they were close enough to steal Alfred’s attention, and raise his anxiety.  
He didn’t like this, and slowly, he was starting to dislike Francis more and more, and it was moments like this that did nothing but make it worse. Francis was already getting in Alfred's way... 

“You know I do, I’m a fuckin mess,” Arthur replied, his smile widening with every word as he spoke directly to Francis, as he put on a maddened smile, before he sat up and grumbled, “I’m ready to die. Like, I'm before God like, 'take me now.' Haha!”

“Oh my God,” Gilbert laughed before patting Alfred’s shoulder as he pointed at Arthur, who directed his smile towards him, “You haven’t seen a real party until you have one with Arthur.”

“Yeeeeeeeah,” Arthur chuckled, leaning back onto his bean bag, forcing Francis to let go of him. “Let’s just pray that I don’t embarrass myself in front of you.”  
Alfred couldn’t help but smile at the sight of Arthur looking at him from where he laid. He looked comfortable enough to snuggle into… Today Arthur was wearing another pair of tight black jeans, but with rips across the knees, with a black shirt and a red flannel that was rolled up to his elbows, and his black jacket was folded by his feet, next to his messenger bag. Alfred especially loved this angle, because when Arthur stretched his back, he could see Arthur’s chest rise and fall with every breath, Alfred could feel heat gather in his cheeks just watching him.

“Please, you’ve embarrassed yourself in front of everyone already, your life is one huge cringe compilation,” Francis chuckled, making Arthur burst into loud laughter.

“RUDE!!” Arthur wheezed.

Alfred glanced over the Ivan to see him looking through a small book, he watched as Ivan made a surprised face before closing the book, revealing to Alfred that he had been looking through a Russian to English dictionary. The poor guy probably forgot what a compilation was. Often Ivan would look to other members of the group for help with translations or grammar. Alfred could only imagine how he coped with assignments.

“You know I’m only kidding,” Francis chuckled as he rubbed Arthur’s hair, which made Alfred’s own hairs stand on end. Francis has already pushed so many of Alfred’s buttons, first his closeness with Arthur annoyed him, and now the Frenchman thinks he can get away with making jokes at Arthur’s expense…  
But nonetheless, the sight of Arthur smiling at him calmed Alfred’s heart. God, Alfred could spend all day just watching him. While others would think that Alfred was only listening or daydreaming; the reality was that Alfred was building his fantasy, and he could feel his attachment to Arthur growing the longer he spent with him. And then, there were those moments where he and Arthur would make eye contact, Arthur would smile at him and Alfred’s heart would race at a million miles per hour. It was that attention from Arthur that he craved….

\----

“Alfred, how many people do you know here…?” Matthew asked, his voice faltering as he and Alfred walked towards the international students dormitory building, even from across the road, the brothers could hear the blaring music coming from inside, the sun hadn’t even been completely set for half an hour yet, and the party seemed to already be in full swing. Alfred supposed that the rumours about international student being part animals was true, “I honestly can’t believe you got an invite to this.”

“Well, I met some cool people, international students,” Alfred explained, smiling at Matthew as the brothers walked across the road, the plastic shopping bag carrying two six-packs of beer clicking with every step that the Canadian half of the siblings took. Alfred looked at his brother with a smirk, which seemed to calm his anxiety at least a little bit, Alfred wasn't usually the one to drag his brother to parties, and neither of them had been to a college party in a while. 

While Alfred and Matthew shared the same American father, whom they both closely resembled, Matthew’s mother and Alfred’s stepmom is Canadian, and so Matthew often chose to embrace that half of his heritage, much to the confusion of others who didn’t know their family dynamic.  
Alfred did love Matthew, he was his brother as well as his best friend. He knew exactly what Alfred was like, because he had seen him during his darkest time, but he stuck around and Alfred could only appreciate him for that.

Alfred was most excited to be seeing Arthur tonight, he could feel the energy surging through his veins, he was going to be partying and drinking alcohol with Arthur: perhaps something can happen between them!! Alfred has seen how frisky some couples get during parties, so Alfred's mind ran wild with all the naughty things he and Arthur could get up to in their drunken daze! It made his heart race just to think about it, the possibility of him hooking up with Arthur made Alfred drunk off excitement! 

Alfred heard Matthew sigh as they made their way through the glass doors into the reception area for the international dormitory building, and instantly, Alfred noticed a sign on the desk which pointed down the hallway reading ' <\- PARTY THIS WAY’

“So, who’s carrying the drinks?” Matthew asked.

“Well, are you gonna dance?” Alfred asked.

Matthew smirked, catching onto Alfred’s plan to abandon him to look after the drinks all night, “I might, if a good song comes on…”

“Ehh, well, there’s probably a place to put it,” Alfred explained as he and Matthew walked down the hallway, noticing how it quickly became harder to talk over the booming music. Now Alfred understood why Lovino complained during class, this was just excessive.

The first thing Alfred noticed was the lights, only in one half of the large foyer were the lights on, whereas the other side of the foyer was dark, where someone had set up party lights on the floor to create moving light displays on the ceiling. There were so many people, Alfred wondered whether they’d be able to find his friends at all, but he had no doubt that he’d be able to stop Arthur from the corner of his eye within a couple of minutes.

Quickly, Alfred and Matthew figured out that the communal kitchen was serving as another area of the party. Alfred and Matthew frowned at each other, when they heard chanting coming from the kitchen, where a huge crowd lined the entrance. Alfred pushed himself through and his eyes widened at the image before him.

The first thing he processed was the fact that Arthur was on his knees, with golden drink dripping from his lips which came from a plastic tube that ran from underneath a funnel, that was being held above his head, encouraging him to drink.

“DRINK! DRINK! DRINK! DRINK! DRINK!” People were chanting as Arthur closed his eyes and struggled to drink all the booze from the tube. Instantly Alfred felt his entire face go red, Arthur was sitting on his knees, slowly rocking his hips upward with every gulp he mustered in a way that sent Alfred’s hot blood pumping through his veins, he couldn't tell if he was more angry or aroused by the sight of it. Arthur still looked stunning, wearing tight black jeans and a black and white striped shirt all of which showed off his slender figure in a way that Alfred hadn’t seen before, and he really liked it. However, he didn’t like the fact that other people were watching this and probably thinking the same thing, Alfred couldn’t help but narrow his eyes and tighten his hands into bitter fists. 

“HE’S NEARLY THERE!!” Gilbert announced. Only then did Alfred register the people who were around Arthur. Gilbert was the one who was holding the beer funnel up for Arthur, and Francis was standing with them, laughing as he splashed a small amount of his own drink into Arthur’s funnel, to which the Englishman shuffled over and smacked the Frenchman on the leg.

Alfred’s heart raced as he watched Arthur struggle to drink all the alcohol, Alfred honestly wanted nothing more than to stand in everyone’s way and let Arthur finish in peace, but he knew that there was no way he’d get away with that. He watched as Arthur closed his eyes tightly, continuing slowly swallowing the alcohol through the tube to the encouragement of others, struggling as some even dripped down his chin and onto his shirt...

But finally, Arthur yelled when he finally finished all the alcohol in the beer funnel, now was when Alfred decided to step in and make his presence known. He walked over to the trio as he watched Francis rub Arthur’s hair as the Englishman stared up at him from his place on the floor with a wide grin, clearly already intoxicated. 

“Hey!!” Alfred shouted, catching the trio’s attention, tying to not sound as pissed off as he felt. 

“HIII ALFRED!!!” Arthur cooed as he waved at Alfred with both hands in a way that made Alfred’s heart skip a beat and forget his anger, before the Englishman caught Matthew in his sights. “Oh! Is this your brother!?”

“Hello!” Matthew announced as he started introducing himself, but Alfred concerned himself more with helping Arthur off the kitchen floor. Alfred could smell the liquor on him, and Alfred wondered how much he had before Alfred got there. Arthur clung to Alfred’s arms as he rose from the floor with wobbling knees, smiling up at him with the drunken haze in his eyes, this was their first moment of proper eye contact, and Alfred never wanted to let it end… He could almost lean in and …

“Nice to meet you,” Arthur exclaimed as he released his grip on Alfred’s arms, before turning to shake Matthew’s hand, leaving Alfred bitterly disappointed, “I’m Arthur. What a great first impression, eh?”

“Oh! No problem, I’m more impressed, really!” Matthew explained, while still firmly shaking Arthur’s hand, “I can barely get a few mouthfuls of water down without having to stop!”

“So, you’re studying here too?” Gilbert asked, before sipping some more of his beer as he approached Matthew.

“Yeah, I’m doing computer science,” Matthew explained.

“Holy shit, that’s cool!” Arthur exclaimed as Alfred fished through the plastic bag that Matthew was holding to get two bottles of beer out, before handing one to Matthew.

“I’m never actually been at this end of the campus before, how many people are at this party?” Mathew asked.

“Not a clue, this is going to be the last for a little while, I heard,” Francis explained. "It's one last night for the internationals to really get some partying in before the studying starts." 

“Doesn’t mean we’ll stop,” Gilbert chuckled before receiving a fist-bump from Arthur. Alfred didn't like that one bit... 

But, once the group migrated from the kitchen and got into the partying mood, the rest of the evening was fine, and Alfred even found himself enjoying the party, he watched people dance and socialise amongst themselves. He even found himself feeling more and more a part of the group, and even Matthew had successfully joined; now he was invited to join the group for lunch.

Alfred was overjoyed when he caught Arthur looking at him from over his drink, perhaps this night was going to bring the American good things after all... 

\----

As the night dragged on and more people came and started to dance, the group started to disband, and by the time that happened, Alfred was wandering through the dancefloor, passing the sweaty bodies of the dancers. He was on a mission to find Arthur, and he wasn’t going to let anyone distract him. He felt like a hunter looking for prey, it was a game now. He wanted to feel that high again of looking into Arthur’s eyes, and Alfred’s slightly intoxicated state gave him the courage to feel like he may even want to dance with Arthur.

But Alfred made it to the end of the crowd, slightly disappointed that he hadn’t found Arthur yet, he craved him like an addict, and the longer he spent away from him the more desperate he became. He was tempted to go back into the dancing crowd again and not leave until he found Arthur. But, in the corner of his eye, he spotted Lovino standing against the wall, his resting-bitch-face in full action and a bottle of something in his hand. Alfred walked over to Lovino, intending to ask him where Arthur was, but before he could even ask, he saw that Lovino’s expression was something more than just a resting face, he looked hurt…

But Alfred was more concerned about finding Arthur, “Hey, have you seen Arthur around?”

 _“Hff!”_ Lovino scoffed, turning his head to the sit as he crossed his arms over his chest, “Why don’t you ask Antonio? They seem to be having a fucking great time together.”

Alfred frowned, quickly his mood changed at the mention of another man’s name and the way that Lovino said it, and what it implied. Alfred’s eyes narrowed and his posture changed, it was like Alfred had become a different man within the second, and this man was not in the mood for playing guessing games, _“Who?”_

Lovino glanced to the side, chucking bitterly, “Speak of the Devil…”

Alfred turned around quickly to see Arthur being led out of the kitchen area. The first thing that upset Alfred was that he was completely wrong about where Arthur was, and he vowed that was a mistake he’d never make again. But what upset Alfred more was the fact that he was following another man, a tanned beauty, who was guiding him towards the dancefloor in a flirtatious manner.  
The sight alone made Alfred’s blood boil, and was only made worse when the stranger hooked his finger around the collar of Arthurs shirt and pulled him in with a hungry stare as he bit his bottom lip, looking at Arthur like he was something to devour.

Now Alfred knew why Lovino was upset, this must be Antonio, and Antonio is the guy that Lovino was looking at during their class… Everything made sense now and Alfred’s theory was correct. Now he had to think about how to turn this situation around in his favour. And get that man away from Arthur!

Alfred watched like a hunter taking aim as Arthur smiled at Antonio as he hooked his arms around his shoulders before linking them together behind the brunette’s hair, letting them get closer together. Antonio snaked his hands across Arthur’s hips to coax him closer, devilish and hungry smiles across each other’s lips as the tension grew between them; so much so that even Alfred could see that the temptation for them to make a move was growing by the second, and Alfred wanted nothing more than to barge in there and tackle the Spaniard to the ground. But Alfred was smarter than that….

He watched as Arthur bit his lip and swung his hips to the beat of the song, edging deeper into Antonio’s sensual hold, clearly eager to receive the Spaniards embrace. It was more than Alfred could take, they could kiss at any second and Alfred could consider his fantasy over! He’d freak out if that happened! He can’t let that happen!! He twitched with anger as he watched the way they looked at each other, they may as well fuck right there with the rate this was going! Alfred wanted to scream!  
As quick as a heartbeat, Alfred turned to Lovino, who was watching too, but quickly pretended to not be when he caught Alfred’s glare.

“You like him, don’t you?” Alfred asked. At the suggestion, Lovino shuddered, which answered all of Alfred’s questions and gave him the hope he needed to pull this off, “Come on, dude, it’s so obvious, just ask him out!”

“Are you kidding?!” Lovino snapped, “I can’t do that! Look at them! It’s clear that he prefers blondes…”

“So, you’re gonna let Arthur have him without a fight?” Alfred pointed out, edging closer and closer to the Italian, determined to use all the manipulative capabilities he held within him. He wasn’t going to stop until Lovino did what he wanted, so he may as well convince him that he wants this more than Alfred, “Come on, you’re not gonna sacrifice your own happiness, they haven’t even kissed yet, what’s it gonna do? You can do it, just slide in there and take Antonio somewhere else. It’s better than spending the rest of the semester staring at the back of his head during class.”

“But what if he doesn’t like me back…?” Lovino asked.

“But what if he does?” Alfred asked, gritting his teeth as he watched Arthur run his fingers through Antonio’s hair as the Spaniard’s hands pulled at Arthur’s waist. “You’re cute, you’ll have him wrapped around your finger with a lil’ attitude. He’d like that, besides, how do we know he’s really into Arthur, have they met before?”

“No…”

Alfred smiled, even though he felt like he was about to snap, holding onto his bottle of beer so tightly, he might be able to break the glass. He knew exactly what Antonio was wanting to do to Arthur tonight, and it was making Alfred sick, he can’t let this happen, he can’t let his sweetheart get tainted, “Better. Go on, you can do it. Show him who’s boss, eh? Are you gonna let them kiss? Hm? You’re not a pussy, are you?”

Alfred was honestly at the end of his tether, he watched Arthur and Antonio with such intense eyes, he was debating whether he would really have to step in to save his sweetheart. Alfred opened his mouth to encourage Lovino one more time, but before any words came out, Lovino slammed his drink into Alfred’s chest and marched towards Arthur and Antonio, and with one swift movement he snatched Antonio by the collar of his shirt and pulled him away from Arthur. Before Arthur could even process what had just happened, Alfred dropped the drinks and was there to swoop in and smile at Arthur before he could get away again.

“Hey, how’s your night going?” Alfred asked, putting on his most charming smile.

From this view, he could see how intoxicated Arthur was, even without Antonio there, he was still swaying and his eyes were glazed over as he looked past Alfred, trying to figure out what had just happened.

 _Poor Arthur, he would have been taken advantage of, wouldn’t he? Thank God, I was there to save him_ – Alfred convinced himself, doing all he could to rationalise his behaviour as he smiled down at Arthur like a hero would smile down at his damsel, but Arthur was more confused than relieved.

“What the fuck, where’d Antonio go?” Arthur asked, frowning, “What the fuck just happened?”

“I dunno, Lovino just wanted to talk to him,” Alfred explained, “Never mind him, wanna dance?”

“Sure, why not?” Arthur chuckled as he followed Alfred towards the rest of the crowd.

Alfred watched the lights dance across Arthurs face as the Englishman danced with him, and Alfred couldn’t remember a time better than this. He smiled so widely, his cheeks started to burn when he caught Arthur staring at him.

It was magical, the pair danced together and for the first time that night, Alfred let the alcohol take effect on him. He screamed the lyrics to songs he knew and jumped around with Arthur like two teenage girls. Alfred hadn't felt this happy in a long time as he danced with Arthur, and the temptation to take him into his arms and kiss him right there became hard and harder for Alfred to ignore. But of course, more people had to join them and make this dance a group thing, and steal away Arthur's attention. And of course, it was Francis who was in control of the whole thing, he would steal Arthur away to get more drinks with him at the bar which had been opened up near the other end of the common area, and they would return twenty minutes later with their arms linked,  _fucking great._

And so, Alfred decided to do the same thing, he asked Arthur to go and get a drink with him, and so they did, but instead of returning to the dancefloor, Alfred escorted Arthur to the quieter corner, so they could talk. 

Before he knew it, he and Arthur had spent over an hour together, laughing, dancing, talking and drinking some more. Alfred was completely smitten over Arthur and everything about him, Alfred was more than happy to call it love. It was the only way that Alfred could explain how he felt. In Alfred’s mind, he was completely and utterly in love with Arthur… And he couldn’t wait until the day that Arthur shared his affection.

He just had to keep him safe until then. What happened with Antonio was too much for Alfred to bear, he was so close to losing Arthur before their love could even begin, there is no way Alfred is going to allow another man to get anywhere near as close as the Spaniard did. He swears on his life that he will stop at nothing to keep Arthur as his, and his alone.

“Alf—Alfred, _fuck…”_ Arthur groaned as he hooked himself around Alfred’s shoulder, struggling to keep himself from leaning against the table.

“Hey, you feeling ok?” Alfred asked, tensing as Arthur grabbed his shoulder, pressing against him. Alfred looked into his eyes and saw that Arthur was completely drunk now, their long night of drinking was finally catching up to Arthur, the poor Englishman was struggling to stand up.

 _“I…”_ Arthur murmured as he leaned into Alfred, resting his Alfred froze as he felt Arthur’s warm hand run up his back as the Englishman held onto him for dear life. “I need, I need to get back to my room, I think I’ve had too much!”

Alfred frowned in concern, hearing the amount of slurring in Arthur’s voice, the Englishman was barely keeping himself together, perhaps Alfred should have watched Arthur’s drinks. But right now, Arthur needs his hero’s help once again, and Alfred was more than happy to provide.

Alfred smiled as he hooked his arm around Arthur and started to lead him away from the party, “Come on, I’ll walk you to your room, and you’ll get some shut-eye, ok?”

 _“Okaaay,”_ Arthur replied as he clung onto Alfred’s shirt as he was led out of the party.

“Now you’ve just gotta show me where your room is? Ok?” Alfred asked, before freezing as he felt Arthur’s hand run up his back from underneath the American’s jumper, feeling the soft fabric of Alfred’s t-shirt.

“Yeah, don’t worry, I know where my room is! It’s not far from here, it’s an easy walk from here!” Arthur explained, “I know I’ve said this to you a thousand times already, but I’m already loving how nice Americans are. I told you about Julian California, right?”

“I wouldn’t mind hearing it again,” Alfred admitted.

 _“WELL!_ Francis and I were sitting in a restaurant in Julian which is this place in California, yeah, yeah, it was that—oh my God, that place was lovely. But we were eating, right—and, and, these people could hear us talking, and they said to us _‘oh, we couldn’t help but hear that you weren’t from around here, we just wanted to say that we hope you have a good time, thank you for coming to California, God bless you.’_ And Francis and I were sitting there like _‘WHAAT—since when do people do this!?’_ But that really impacted me, I hope someday I could make a foreigner feel as good as they did for me!” Arthur rambled as Alfred helped Arthur walk up the stairs. Alfred was even tempted to pick Arthur up and carry him himself.

Even though Arthur was still talking, Alfred’s mind was somewhere else, all he could think about was the feeling of Arthur running his hand up and down his spine as he spoke while this other hand his other hand was clutching to the shirt on Alfred’s chest. Arthur was holding onto him tightly as they walked together, and Alfred prayed that Arthur couldn’t feel how fast the American’s heart was beating. As Arthur spoke more, the more he snuggled into Alfred’s arms, and the more Alfred could feel Arthur’s warmth, and despite the alcohol on Arthur’s breath; he still smelt nice to the American.  
“God, you are _soooo_ warm!” Arthur pointed out, “Please stop me from falling asleep in the hallway, _fuck_ , I should have stopped drinking before the rum and cola, _fuck_ , I’m gonna feel this tomorrow! I probably won’t remember much! I’m so sorry in advance!”

“No problem, we’ll just have to keep talking later, I’ll tell you everything you told me,” Alfred replied, “I’ll look after you.”

“I’d like that,” Arthur replied, before pushing himself out of Alfred’s arms and into a door, with the number 102 nailed to the door, _“THIS IS ME!”_

“Whoa, let me get that for you!” Alfred exclaimed as he pulled Arthur from the door and helped him open it, “You don’t lock your door?”

“I forget sometimes, besides, it’s _fiiine_ ,” Arthur grumbled as Alfred helped him into his room, closing the door behind him. By the time Alfred flicked on the light switch, Arthur was already smothering his face into the pillow and getting cosy on his bed.

“Arthur? Hey?” Alfred asked, shaking Arthur’s shoulder softly, frowning when he saw that Arthur had already passed the point of no return, within a minute, Arthur was breathing softly enough to tell Alfred had he had fallen asleep.

Arthur's room was small, but comfortable, furnished with a single bed which sat against the left wall which sat next to a bedside table and bookshelf which was next to a window that was closed by short white curtains, a desk which sat across from the bed, corkboard on the wall and a wardrobe next to the desk. Arthur seems to have already made himself at home, his belongings and clothing was scattered throughout the room, and it gave Alfred so many details about what kind of guy Arthur is. He wears a lot of black, owns a MacBook and even a guitar, Alfred wouldn’t call his room messy, but it’s not exactly pristine and it smelt nice, for a male’s bedroom. Seeing his bedroom only made Alfred more fascinated… Alfred wandered around Arthur’s room, peering at the books on Arthur’s shelf, the clothes on Arthur’s floor and the little trinkets of his home and his travels spread throughout the bookshelf and bedside table.

However, Alfred’s interest piqued when he looked at the weekly planner that Arthur had put up on the wall above his desk. It had every day of Arthur’s school-week planned, from which class it was, what time it started and finished and even which classroom he was in: he even noted the buildings the rooms were in. All this information about Arthur was presented in front of Alfred, and now Alfred faced a very tough choice…

_Should he take Arthur’s schedule…?_

Alfred found himself staring at the planner longer than he should, and the longer he stared, the stronger the temptation began… Alfred rationalised that he could just keep it to himself, maybe change a couple of his classes to fit closer to Arthur’s schedule. It’s not creepy! It’d just mean that Alfred will have more time with him, and will know where he is… And no one like Antonio will have the time to get in the way again…

“Fuck it…” Alfred grumbled as he got his phone out, and took a photo of Arthur’s weekly schedule. He ended up taking multiple photos, just to make sure that he could read Arthur’s lovely handwriting clearly underneath the days.

Even at this action, Alfred’s heart started to race, now he felt like he had passed the point of no return, he was serious about his devotion to Arthur.  
He glanced down at the phone in his hand, seeing that it was still on the camera setting and more ideas swam within Alfred’s mind. Slowly, he lifted his phone, and without much inner debate, he took a photo of Arthur. He ended up taking more photos than originally planned, granted, he did not enter Arthur’s room with the intention of taking photos of him sleeping, but like what happened with the planner; the temptation became too strong for Alfred to ignore.

He took close photos of how sweet Arthur’s face appeared as he slept, and how his delicate hands curled ever so slightly as he held himself in his soft slumber. Alfred kept trying to rationalise his actions and excuse his behaviour, and as he took more photos, the arguments against his actions became weaker and weaker. Arthur just looked so peaceful and cute; Alfred would never get another opportunity like this, besides: how would Arthur ever know? When he was finished, Alfred nervously sat on the bed beside where Arthur laid, running his fingers through the Englishman’s soft blonde hair. Alfred smiled down at his love and smiled sweetly, wondering what he could be dreaming about…

Alfred’s cheeks burned as he watched Arthur sleep and he wanted nothing more than for Arthur to wake up and accept him as his love… But Alfred understood that it would take a little more time, not after what happened with Antonio, although; Lovino has probably solved that problem for Alfred. Either way, Alfred never wants to allow another man to think he can even dream of getting that close to Arthur, never again will Alfred let another man get near Arthur without facing punishment…  
Alfred frowned, realising how crazy he sounded, this was weird – even for him!

But Alfred quickly excused his behaviour, and justified his concerns. This is for him and Arthur. He just needs to keep Arthur safe until the time comes.

After what felt like ages, Alfred finally rose from Arthur’s bed, and pulled the blanket over Arthur’s sleeping body and gave him a soft kiss on the head after pulling off the Englishman’s shoes. He would stay all night if he could, but he knew that Matthew would be looking for him, so it would be best if he let Arthur have his sleep in peace…

“See you soon…” Alfred whispered as he turned off the light, engulfing Arthurs bedroom into darkness, but he could still see the sleeping figure tucked into his bed. Alfred winked as he slowly closed the door, leaving with a collection of photos, including Arthur’s schedule.

As Alfred walked back to the party, he couldn’t hide the satisfied smile on his face, nor could he ignore the buzz of adrenaline that roared through his veins. Alfred knew that he had done something that most people would consider ‘odd’ or even ‘creepy’, but to Alfred, this was a step in the right direction for him. He wanted Arthur so badly, he was starting to consider what he may be forced to do next to keep him safe.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Efforts to contact the victim are common, but stalkers usually may keep the obsession a secret; they study their victims, often from afar. They may contact their victim through leaving anonymous letters or messages: they do this to express themselves to the victim without being exposed, but sometimes the freedom of anonymity may be abused.

Using the photos he took of Arthur’s schedule on his phone, Alfred changed his own class timetable to resemble Arthurs as much as it could, Alfred tried his best to make the classes similar, but he did have to give or take a couple of hours. Luckily for Alfred, on some days their schedules were very closely aligned. Alfred did this with the intention to be busy at the same time as Arthur, and also free at the same time; he wanted to be able to ‘accidentally run into’ Arthur as much as he could on campus, so he could form his own relationship with Arthur without having to deal with the others so much. Besides, it’s a rare opportunity to see Arthur alone, and that thought alone made Alfred’s cheeks burn and heart race, he couldn't wait for it, it was like waiting for Christmas.

He imagined how cute it would be if he and Arthur bumped into each other in the hallway like a teen romance movie; they would drop their stuff on the ground, instantly he and Arthur would be on their knees grabbing their stuff while apologising profusely, and then their hands would touch and they’d make eye contact… _Mmm!!_

Alfred's fantasy was building and he found himself falling deeper into it. He knew that his infatuation with Arthur was becoming more and more intense as every day passed. He would occasionally spent hours watching the shows or listening to the music that Arthur mentioned, even once-- Alfred was going to do anything to have something to connect with Arthur, something to talk with him about, Alfred craved a common interest between them!

However, Alfred's current hobby revolved around his phone, where he would spend hours scanning through the photos of Arthur sleeping that he took that fateful Friday night—justifying his actions with every swipe of his finger. It felt so good to look back at those photos and remember what it was like to be in Arthur's bedroom, and how good it felt to be the one who Arthur relied on in his drunken state...  

Suddenly, Alfred was interrupted when the front door to the apartment was slammed shut, and Matthew made his way into the living room where Alfred was sitting on the couch, trying his hardest to not look like he was just pulled from a fantasy session. 

“Hey,” Matthew greeted as he tossed a crinkled brown paper-bag of fast food in Alfred’s direction, landing on the old couch that sat in front of the TV, where the news was broadcasting, “I know it’s my turn to cook tonight, but I’m still feeling real sick from Friday night…”

“Jesus, dude, it’s Sunday; how much did you drink?” Alfred asked as he opened the bag, happy to see that Matthew remembered his favourite meal.

Matthew grimaced, “I made a terrible mistake. Never try to outdrink Ivan: that Russian guy… I feel like I’ve been hit by a bus.”

“You look it too,” Alfred chuckled. Matthew’s tired eyes narrowed as he shuffled over to the couch and took a seat next to Alfred with his own dinner.

“Jerk, what’d you do at the party anyway?” Matthew asked, “I hardly saw you.”

“Well, you were drunk out of your mind, I heard you were doing shots with Ivan, so, of course you don’t remember shit,” Alfred explained, remembering how he saw Matthew fooling around with Gilbert and Ivan while on his pursuit of Arthur. “I think you had your shirt off at some point…”

 _“Oh God…”_ Matthew groaned as his head fell into his hands.

 _“Oh yeah,_ I can’t wait to hear about the shit you got up to,” Alfred laughed.

“I can’t leave this apartment ever again…” Matthew groaned before shoving fries into his mouth lazily, showing Alfred that he definitely still lacked motor skills and concentration that came with a lingering hangover. It was telling of how sick Matthew must have gotten after the party, “My head still hurts and I’m still dizzy, and no matter how much I shower: I still feel numb and icky.”

Now that Alfred got a better look at him, Matthew did look half-dead; his light blonde hair was an untamed and fluffy mess on his head, and his eyes were narrowed and tired from behind his circular frames, even his skin seemed paler in complexion. He looked as though he had just gotten up after a deep sleep, and the huge t-shirt and baggy pants that he wore only assisted Alfred’s assumption.

“Shit, how much did you drink?” Alfred asked as he unwrapped his own dinner.

 _“Too much…”_ Matthew grimaced, “Shit, and I have an 8:30 lecture tomorrow morning…”

“Oh yeah, my schedule has changed,” Alfred pointed out.

“Why?” Matthew asked.

“Ehh, I’m thinking of looking for a job, and it’d be good if I cleared up some more time,” Alfred replied, using his perfectly rehearsed excuse, because there was no way that he was going to tell Matthew that he changed his schedule to be closer to a guy…   
But there was something that Alfred did want to tell Matthew…

“Goddammit, and we’ve just figured out who’s going to have the car on what days—”

Alfred just spat it out, not wanting to let the moment pass, _“I’m gay.”_

Matthew nearly choked on his fries, throwing his head forward slightly in surprise at how Alfred just blurted it out so causally and loudly, but after swallowing, Matthew looked at him, “Um… that’s cool.”

“Yeah…” Alfred murmured.

“Have you … you know…? Um,” Matthew muttered, before finally picking a question to stick with, Alfred could see that he had really caught Matthew off-guard with this, and Alfred was left wondering whether he was really that surprised, “Do you like anyone? What brought this up? I mean, how did you figure it out?”

“Well, I’ve kind of always known. But I’ve started thinking about it more lately, and… well, I’ve never really been interested in women, and so I figured it meant something deeper. But, you know when you know; I guess. It feels right. It just makes more sense to me that I’m into guys.” – Or, more like one guy... One person who has ever made Alfred feel such a way, it made sense to Alfred now. 

“I guess that’s fair,” Matthew agreed, “I’m not gonna lie, I always have kind of wondered. But, either way, who you like doesn’t matter at all, as long as you treat each other right, that’s all I’ve gotta say about it. Besides, I’m not even sure what I am at all... But, I’m honestly happy you told me, does anyone else know?”

Alfred laughed, “Who else would I tell?”

“Mom or dad?”

“Ha-ha, hell no, I’m gonna rock up to Thanksgiving with my arm around a guy, just so I can see their reactions!” Alfred smirked.

“You’re awful,” Matthew hissed, “But you know them, they’ll just be happy you’re actually with someone! I think they’re starting to run out of hope for you!”

“Shut up!!” Alfred whined before he and Matthew finally turned their attentions to the news on the TV and the food in front of them.

Alfred honestly felt blessed to have a brother like Matthew, Alfred didn’t care at all that they were half siblings. If anything: the closeness between their ages made Alfred feel like he got along better with him. Matthew experienced everything with Alfred as they grew up, and was always there to keep Alfred grounded and sane during times of stress or pain... Matthew reminded him that the world wasn’t going to end because something wasn’t going him way.  
Alfred couldn’t have asked for a better brother, or friend.

“Oh yeah, how did you meet Gilbert and the others?” Matthew asked.

“I have a class with Lovino,” Alfred replied, watching Matthew frown.

“That’s the Italian… _Right?”_ Matthew meekly asked, sighing with relief when Alfred confirmed it with a nod. “They’re all really nice people. Oh yeah, and Arthur is pretty cool. I wonder if he feels as sick as I do, he went _wild."_

At the sound of Arthur’s name, Alfred’s food stopped halfway down his throat, before he had to force it down, as the heat returned to Alfred's body, making him anxious. Even at the mention of Arthur’s name, all of the memories and the good feelings that Arthur gave him came flooding back, and Alfred prayed that the burning sensation on his cheeks hadn’t translated into blushing, then Matthew would be able to easily figure out who made Alfred realise he was gay…

“Yeah, he’s nice,” Alfred replied, trying his best to pretend to be casual and that his heartbeat wasn’t through the roof.

Instinctually, Alfred looked down at his phone which was sitting halfway under his thigh, knowing that now no one was going to be allowed near his phone: not when he has pictures of Arthur sleeping on it. Oh God… If Matthew knew about that, he would be so pissed…

The more that Alfred started to think about it, the more he rationalised that Matthew shouldn’t know about the intensity of his feelings towards Arthur, not yet at least… If Matthew knew what fantasies Alfred had about Arthur and about the photos, he would step in, expose Alfred and take Arthur away! Just the thought of it made Alfred shiver! Matthew will know about Alfred and Arthur's relationship when everyone else does, when no one can stand in their way. Alfred even knew that Arthur wouldn’t want to be with someone who took photos of him while he slept: he wouldn’t understand why Alfred did it!  

Usually Alfred trusted everything to Matthew, but not this time. Alfred decided that he was going to keep his feelings for Arthur a complete secret, not at least until Arthur was his and his alone.

\-----

Keeping his feelings for Arthur a secret was something that Alfred didn’t count on being so … so… _difficult_.

Every time Arthur was around him or even came up in conversations; Alfred had to fight the urge to gush over how perfect he was to anyone within ear shot. Arthur was just so much to Alfred, and everything about him had Alfred hooked like an addict, how he smiled, his voice, his eyes, his laugh--  _God,_ he had Alfred so smitten and caught in his web, Alfred nearly couldn't think of anything  _but_ Arthur, and he wanted to tell the world about Arthur and Alfred's love for him. 

It was only Monday, their one-week anniversary, and Alfred was struggling hard…

To his dismay, Antonio joined their group after hooking up with Lovino. However, he kept his arm hooked around Lovino’s shoulders, and he and Arthur wouldn’t dare to even look at each other. Alfred supposed that the scenario wasn’t _that_ bad: he just needs to keep an eye on the Spaniard in case if he tries anything else... 

“Hey Matthew, how was your head after the party?” Ivan asked, cheekily smirking at Matthew, who sighed deeply. 

“Oh God, don’t ever let me drink again, I wanted to die…” Matthew groaned.

“Are you kidding?! You were hilarious!!” Gilbert chuckled.

“What? What’d I do?” Matthew asked.

“What didn’t you do?” Gilbert laughed, patting Matthew’s shoulder as the Canadians cheeks burned.

“What did I do, seriously!?” Matthew wheezed, growing more panicked by the second, and the German’s laughter didn’t help, “I’m serious, I don’t remember anything, please tell me!”

"And ruin joke? No, no, you were too funny!" Ivan laughed. 

"God, you were  _wild,"_ Gilbert laughed, leaning into Matthew to watch the Canadian panic even more, at this point; Alfred could tell that Gilbert and Ivan were taking the piss at Matthew. Alfred was about to step in and defend Matthew, but then in the corner of his eye, he spotted Arthur moving slightly in his direction.  

“Hmm… Hey Alfred…” Arthur muttered, instantly stealing Alfred’s attention away from the funny interaction, immediately Alfred’s focus was on him, as Arthur looked up at him from his seat on the bean-bag, “What happened after I fell asleep?”

Reacting quickly, Alfred answered normally, “I took off your shoes, pulled your blanket over and left, why?”

“Huh…” Arthur muttered as he frowned slightly but still smiled at Alfred as he released a sharper breath, like a sigh. Almost instantly, all of the noise of the world around the two were blocked out in Alfred’s mind, “I could have sworn I felt something next to me… Like… Someone was sitting right beside me as I laid there.”

A cocktail of bliss and panic swirled in his stomach as he laughed at Arthur’s admission, Alfred tried his best to not look too visibly taken aback by Arthur's admission. Alfred had to answer fast, or he'd be caught before he was ready for Arthur to know about his feelings! _“Whooooa,_ that is so creepy! But nah, I left right away. You were knocked-out, dude. Your face was in the pillow before I even found the light switch!”

Despite the relief he felt when Arthur believed his lie, Alfred couldn’t help but wonder how Arthur would react if he knew the truth…

“True, I was far too drunk, I seem to have a habit of doing that,” Arthur chuckled, smiling before he leaned into Alfred to speak more privately as the rest of the group continued to talk around them.

 _Oh God,_ Alfred would be lying if he didn’t feel the temptation to kiss Arthur right there, their faces were brought closer, despite the odd angle of Arthur sitting on a bean bag and Alfred sitting on a cushioned stool. It felt so good to be this close to Arthur, Alfred was sure that he was about to explode into confetti. His heart raced as he stared into Arthur's glistening eyes, absolutely stunned by their beauty, but then Alfred had to constantly remind himself to act somewhat normal as Arthur continued to speak, “I’m sorry if I did anything odd on Friday night, but thank you very much for looking after me.”

Alfred took this as many different things, although some of them may have been interpreted completely the wrong way. Alfred took this as Arthur thanking him for every individual thing he did that night: including keeping Antonio away from him… and it was just the encouragement Alfred needed to validate his actions even further. He was Arthur's hero. 

“Well, I had a good time,” Alfred replied, smiling down at Arthur, wanting to look as handsome and charming as he possibly could, anything to keep Arthur looking at him, and him alone. Alfred smiled as he looked into Arthur’s intoxicating green eyes, wanting to stay there forever, and it didn't really look like Arthur minded either, as he wasn't breaking the eye contact, nor looked like he wanted to any time soon…

But then, it was  _ruined._  

 _“Arthur!”_ Francis cried as he tackled Arthur into the bean bag, ripping Arthur away from his eye contact with Alfred, which felt like a physical blow to the American, he felt like a child who's blanket was just snatched away. However, Alfred had to hide the animosity in his expression, and not look like he wanted to tear the Frenchman away from Arthur. “Oh my God, I watched Hush last night.”

Even from that angle, Alfred could see the surprised smile on Arthur’s face as he completely accepted Francis' hold, it was so painful for Alfred to even look at those two as they laid on Arthur's beanbag, “Stressful, isn’t it?”

 _“Uggggghhhhhhh, it was so stressful!”_ Francis groaned as he pulled himself off Arthur, before making room for himself next to Arthur. At this, Alfred only became more frustrated, first this prick decides to tear Arthur away from their moment, now he has to get comfortable next to him as well?! But then, Alfred had to hide all of his irritation when Francis smiled at him, “Have you seen Hush?”

“Is it a movie?” Alfred asked, feeling confident in his fake smile.

“Yes!” Arthur quipped, lifting his hands as he explained to Alfred, “there’s this deaf woman who lives alone in the middle of nowhere and a guy with a mask is trying to kill her and _oooooh_ , it is stressful and creepy!”

Alfred smiled at Arthur, knowing what he’s watching the second he gets home, “Cool! I’ll check it out!”

As quickly as Alfred had obtained Arthur’s attention, Francis managed to take it away, distracting Arthur with discussions about assignments and other _stupid things._ It left Alfred feeling so bitter and angry, he was so pissed off over the fact that Francis had ruined yet  _another_ moment with Arthur! Even if Alfred was included in this conversation with him, Alfred could not replace the sinking feeling in his stomach as he watched them talk; it was making him nauseas. What did Francis want out of this? 

Alfred’s frustration lasted until Arthur had to leave for his class, something that Alfred knew was coming: he even knew which classroom Arthur was going to be in and for how long. And because Alfred changed his schedule, he didn’t have to wait long before he had to go to a class of his own, one of which he knew finished at the same time as Arthur’s, and if he’s fast enough; he could run right into Arthur as he’s leaving the building that his class was in! Maybe then they’ll finally have some real alone time- where no Frenchman can ruin it for him.

However, no matter how much Alfred tried to focus on his class and take notes, the more he only ended up thinking about Arthur… Thinking about how his pupils dilated when they looked at each other, and how he smiles so sweetly…

The teachers voice had become like static, and Alfred could barely concentrate to take enough notes. All of the internal pressure over Alfred's feelings for Arthur was stressing him out, he wanted to have alone time with Arthur so badly, it was starting to occupy his thoughts. What would he do if another man tries to hook up with Arthur like Antonio did.

He has to think of a way to tell Arthur exactly how he felt without exposing himself. He wanted to express himself and tell Arthur just how deeply he is loved, maybe then Arthur wouldn't want any other man, and that would give Alfred at least a little bit of ease; if Arthur knew that there was someone out there who loved him…

So then, instead of focussing on his class, Alfred jotted notes down for a letter to Arthur.  
He put a lot of effort into the letter, expressing how he felt the first time he saw Arthur, and how good he makes him feel, and how he wishes to spend time with him in the future… He spent nearly the entire class drafting the perfect letter and by the end, he felt confident enough to write a final draft.

 _'To my Dearest Arthur,'  
_ Alfred poured his heart out onto the paper, writing so delicately and slowly, so then he wouldn't need to restart. 

By the end of the class, Alfred perfected the letter, and he left his class in time to make his way to the building where Arthur had his class. And as though it was fate, Alfred and Arthur met each other at the door.

 _“Hey!”_ Alfred chirped, catching Arthur’s attention.

As Arthur smiled at him while pulling out his ear buds, Alfred’s heart skipped a beat, “Hello! What class did you just have?”

“Mathematical strategy,” Alfred explained, smiling down at Arthur as he ran his hand through his golden blonde hair, “What about you?”

“Oh, just news reporting,” Arthur explained, “Oh shit, we have an assignment where we have to find a news story and even interview people and I am dreading it!”

“Oh yeah?” Alfred asked, that’s right; Arthur is studying journalism and communications, it was just another fact about Arthur that made him even more appealing to the American. It was cute, in Alfred's opinion - but then again, everything about Arthur was adorable to Alfred. 

 _“Actually…”_ Arthur muttered as he scratched the back of his neck, a sight which made Alfred's hairs stand on end, “I was meaning to talk to you more about Friday night… I really hope I didn’t make you uncomfortable at all…”

Alfred frowned, “What do you mean?”

“I remember you walking me back to my room, and my hands were all over you, I just… _ughhh_ , I hate that I did that, I really hope you didn’t get uncomfortable…” Arthur explained, “I was struggling to stand, I was rambling and so dizzy… I’m the kind of drunk that gets a bit handsy, like, anyone who has their arm around me is getting a backrub…”

 _Is he kidding?_ That was one of the highlights of Alfred’s night, his heart races when he thinks of how warm Arthur’s hands were as they travelled up his spine and tugged on his shirt. The sensations of Arthur's warm and drunken body leaning on him drove Alfred crazy with bliss and sent the heat pumping through his veins, he’d give anything to go through that again.

“What?! No! That was totally fine!” Alfred laughed, “Don’t feel bad at all!!”

“Oh thank God!!” Arthur sighed, “Ugh, I want to talk to Antonio too, but I just feel so awkward even looking at him…”

Even at the mention of the other man’s name, Alfred’s eyes narrowed. He would have become angrier and more possessive; however, Arthur’s presence was too good of a deterrent for Alfred’s ugly side.  
But Alfred’s curiosity prevailed, and the look on Arthur’s face was too interesting to ignore, “What happened with that, by the way?”

 _“Well…_ We had been flirting all night, and we nearly got intimate on the dancefloor, his hands were all over me and mine were all over him, we were going to hook up, but Lovino ended that,” Arthur explained, before sighing as he crossed his arms over his chest, going slightly red in the cheeks as he spoke. “Although, Lovino did end up telling me that he had been trying to ask Antonio out for nearly a week… I figured that of course when he saw Antonio and I, he would have been hurt…. I don’t blame him, besides, he’s my friend, so there are no hard feelings. I just hope he and Antonio are happy. Perhaps it is best if I keep my distance from him, just to make sure Lovino doesn’t get uncomfortable.”

Alfred couldn’t help but smile at Arthur’s admission, perhaps he doesn’t have that much to worry about at all, in regard to Antonio at least.  
But if that Spanish bastard takes one step out of line, he will get his ass handed to him by Alfred’s fists.

“Yeah, I suppose that’s fair,” Alfred explained, “Besides, they’re cute together. Have you got any plans for tonight?”

“Gilbert has found a bar somewhere in town that he wants to check out, and Francis wants to come too,” Arthur explained, “What’s funny is that when Gilbert, Francis, Lovino and I go out, Francis and Lovino leave by midnight, but Gilbert and I stay until nearly three in the morning. I’m an awful example of a student, I don’t know how I still function sometimes…”

“Well, you’re doing pretty damn good, if you ask me,” Alfred chuckled, flashing a charming smile with his perfect set of teeth.

Arthur smiled at Alfred’s his eyes reflecting that beautiful shade of green that caught Alfred like a fly into a spiders web, but then Arthur gasped, “I better run, actually, I have another class to get to,” Arthur admitted as he started to create distance between himself and Alfred, leaving the American more and more cold the further he travelled.

 _Oh shit_ , Alfred had gotten one of Arthur’s days mixed up, he thought Arthur was finished with classes for the day, but he was wrong. He had less time with Arthur than he thought he had…  
Arthur smiled once more as he waved goodbye to Alfred.  
“We should catch up again soon. As the weather gets colder, we’re going to start hanging out at the International Dormitory common rooms more, you and Matthew are welcome to come over any time!”

“Sweet! Thank you! I’ll see you later then!” Alfred replied, waving to Arthur as the Englishman turned his back to him, and Alfred let his true disappointment show. He lowered his arm in a huff and immediately marched away from the building that Arthur just left and made his way towards the library.

He thought more about the letter for Arthur that he had in his bag, feeling the urge to deliver it becoming stronger and stronger. Alfred thought more about what Arthur’s reaction to the letter would be, would he be happy?

Looking through his letter one more time, Alfred concluded that Arthur should be happy, Alfred admits in his letter that   
The letter was so sweet and passionate, according to Alfred, it told of Alfred's deep feelings for him, and he poured his heart into describing Arthur and how beautiful he was in Alfred's eyes. He admits that he’s loved Arthur since the second he saw him, and while the Englishman has no clue that his admirer exists, he hasn’t been able to get him out of his mind ever since. He admits that he feels like Arthur has cast some kind of spell on him, and he feels more alive the more he sees him, and that he’d give anything to have that feeling for the rest of his life – _why would Arthur not love it?!_

Alfred walked straight to the campus convenience store and bought a Hershey’s chocolate bar and some envelopes and stickers, before rushing to the other end of the campus, making his way to the international dormitory building. While on his journey, his hands trembled as he placed the folded letter into the envelope and sealed it shut with a pink smiley face sticker.

Alfred walked right into the International Dormitories and made his way to the dormitories, keeping his head down as he passed dozens of students, none of them suspecting that Alfred was anyone other than one of them. Before he knew it, Alfred was standing in front of the doors to Arthur’s bedroom, 102, clutching his letter and chocolate bar in his trembling hand.  
He glanced down the hallway to see if anyone was coming, ad luckily for him, no other students were walking through the hallway. However; the door to the bedroom next to Arthur’s was held open by a doorstop.

He felt so nervous, he could feel the butterflies dancing in his stomach as he bent down and positioned the chocolate bar and envelope against Arthur’s door, feeling as though he was placing down a baby. He took a deep breath before knocking on Arthur’s door, and running behind the open door, relieved to see that the student who lived in the room was too into his book to notice Alfred.  
  
Alfred listened intensely, waiting to hear Arthur open his door and receive his letter and gift, however, that noise didn’t come. Frowning, Alfred wondered what Arthur could be doing, his class finished nearly half an hour ago: _he couldn’t have left for dinner already?! Who's he with?!_ Alfred frowned as he peeked out from his hiding spot, knowing that he wasn’t going to leave until he knew for sure that Arthur received his gift.

Alfred ended up standing there for nearly fifteen more minutes, growing more and more anxious by the second. However, he finally could breathe calmly when he heard the familiar noise of Arthur’s laughter echoing through the hallway.

 _“God, I still can’t believe we did that,”_ Alfred could hear Arthur say.

“It was genius, in my opinion,” Another voice said, making Alfred frown.

Alfred looked to the windows that lined the wall opposite the doors to the bedrooms, and he could finally see Arthur … and _Francis_ … as they walked to Arthur’s room together. The darkness of the night sky outside and the light from inside the hallway made it extremely easy for Alfred to see where Arthur and Francis stood in the well-lit hallway.

“Well, at least we didn’t get into too much trouble…”

“What could they do? We just jumped over the rope at the Indiana Jones ride, we didn’t break any Disneyland Law!” Francis laughed, “At least they didn’t find your flask!!”

 _“Ughhh,_ I can’t believe I left my fucking flask in my bag when we went to Disneyland,” Arthur groaned, _“What is my life?”_

“The look on the man’s face when he saw you pull out that flask though... Best moment of the day, if you ask me. That and the guy who stood behind us in the line for Small World that looked like he wanted to die.” Francis chuckled and to Alfred’s dismay, he was the one to notice Alfred’s gift as it sat against Arthur’s door, _“Ooooh, look at this…”_

“What the…?” Arthur gasped, and Alfred’s heart raced as he watched Arthur’s reflection in the windows bend down to look at the chocolate bar and envelope.

 _“Ahhhhhh~ someone has a secret admirer~!!”_ Francis cooed as Arthur picked up the gifts, his frown was visible from where Alfred stood, watching them through the reflection in the mirror like he was watching a movie.

“Well, if they’re a girl, they will be very disappointed…” Arthur muttered, leaving Alfred no doubt to what Arthur’s sexuality was. He's definitely gay, which was exactly what Alfred hoped for!

Francis chuckled, “If she’s cute, send her to me.”

 _“Ew,”_ Arthur grimaced, “I don’t want to punish her.” Francis laughed as Arthur opened the envelope and unfolded the letter, before beginning to read.

Alfred’s heart raced at a thousand miles an hour as he watched Arthur read, watching every expression on Arthur's face as intensely as he could, despite the limitations of his position. But then, as Arthur’s face started to change into one other than joy, Alfred became anxious, Alfred's heart was in his throat as he saw Arthur look up at Francis, revealing his completely confused and concerned expression, which shattered Alfred's heart into pieces. 

“Oh good God,” Arthur murmured, “This has to be some kind of joke…”

“What?” Francis asked as Arthur passed the letter to Francis, immediately breaking Alfred’s heart: why would he show him Alfred’s letter!? That was for him only! Alfred wanted to cry as he watched Francis frown.

“I’ve never been described as a doll before…” Arthur muttered, “Nor has anyone put so much detail into describing my face…”

Francis frowned, “I… I don’t know what to say about this… It’s definitely passionate…”

“Granted, the gesture is sweet, but that is so creepy! Read the third paragraph!” Arthur snapped, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Look, I just think this person is a bit over-excited…”

“Over-excited? They’re not really giving me any options here by referring to themselves as my ‘future husband’. There’s also the fact that they know I’m gay—”

“I don’t think that would have changed a thing, honestly…” Francis grumbled as he continued to read the letter, the concern in his voice sending a shiver down Alfred's spine. How dare he sound so judgemental, that letter wasn't for him!! 

“Exactly! And they know where my room is, _oh fuck!”_ Arthur exclaimed.

“Oh, good point… Let’s just hope this is a one-time thing…” Francis muttered as he handed the letter back to Arthur, who folded it again and put it back into the envelope.

While Arthur not loving Alfred’s letter did cause him pain, watching Arthur let Francis into his bedroom so willingly afterwards broke his heart. The jealous monster within him returned, and he was not pleased with what he just saw.  
If his first letter didn’t win Arthur over nor deter that French bastard, then he will just have to try harder…


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Often stalkers are driven by a fantasy, and if the delusion is strong enough a stalker will believe that the victim may be the only person who can satisfy their desires. Therefore, the stalker may interpret any kind of response from the victim, even negative ones, as encouragement and will see any sanctions or rejections as challenges to overcome that will demonstrate their love for the victim.
> 
> Hello everyone! I'm just letting you know that I am planning on uploading chapters every Friday night (AEST)!  
> Thank you for reading the story and I hope you enjoy!

Alfred had become so involved with his fantasy relationship with Arthur, it started to invade every aspect of Alfred's day. Even when he slept... Where Alfred's wildest dreams come true. 

“Ah!  _Alfred!"_

Alfred purred as he nuzzled into Arthur’s neck, catching some of the Englishman’s soft skin in his teeth. Arthur cried out as he arched his back, pulling himself deeper into Alfred’s tight hold, and tightened Alfred's position between Arthur's legs. Alfred smiled down and stared into Arthur's glistening eyes as he softly rubbed their noses together in a moment where he paused to catch his breath. And then, Alfred crawled further up the bed, taking his moaning lover with him, who clung to Alfred's sweat-drenched back, before being laid to rest on the bed, where Alfred then continued to ravish him.

“You like that, sweetheart?” Alfred moaned as he stared down at Arthur’s pleasure-dazed eyes, as the Englishman panted in the heat of the moment, overwhelmed by everything, but craving more. Before he could let Arthur get too relaxed, Alfred brought their lips together in a deep and passionate kiss, where he absolutely devoured Arthur, and Arthur clung on desperately to Alfred, never wanting to let him go.

Alfred held Arthur’s head closely, letting the heat of the moment engulf them completely; by this point nothing would pull them away from each other. This was the point where Alfred took his fantasy to the next level and took Arthur with all the strength he had, and Arthur was loving it. Arthur wrapped his legs around Alfred’s sweaty torso, screaming Alfred’s name again and again in hot and heavy need and passion. It was all Alfred ever wanted, and hearing Arthur scream like that only pushed the American further, to the point where he screamed out in pleasure himself. 

Alfred was living in his fantasy, indulging in all of the passionate desires he had for Arthur, in his fantasy there were no limits, no boundaries and no one between him and Arthur.  
_“Oh fuck!”_

In this moment, Arthur was Alfred’s and Alfred’s alone, and that was the way Alfred wanted it to be. He wanted to be the only man who is blessed enough to feel Arthur’s nails rake up his back, feel his teeth bite into his shoulder and feel him quivering from the pleasure underneath Alfred’s body.

_“Ah! Alf-Ah!”_

_“Fuck, baby!”_

Alfred and Arthur met in an intense mixture of panting, sweating, moaning, scratching, tasting, squeezing and screaming; all of which were intensified by the creaking of the old bed where they played out Alfred’s deepest fantasy.

For Alfred, this was heaven, he could die right there and be completely content with what he’s achieved on that night. Alfred cried out as he became frenzied and wild, letting his instinct possess him and drive himself and Arthur closer together, all while he remained so passionate and attentive to his precious lover. Arthur was his, and his only,  _no one was going to have Arthur like this!!_

_“Mm! Alfie!"_

_Nothing was going to stop them from being together, nothing…_

Arthur screamed as he grabbed Alfred by the shoulders, digging his nails into Alfred’s sweaty flesh, _“Alfie! YES!”_

But suddenly, as soon as his fantasy started, _it ended._ Alfred opened his eyes to find himself lying alone in his bed, his mind still reeling from the fantasy he just woke up from. He regretted ever opening his eyes and returning to reality, but he felt calm in the knowledge that he would be able to have Arthur like that someday.

Alfred groaned as he stiffly rolled over onto his back, finally noticing the physical evidence of the blissful night he had with his imagination that was left behind in his pants. He sighed as he inspected underneath the sheets, despite the illusion being over, he was impressed with how much his imagination had improved, this was the third night where he dreamed of Arthur, and this one was very impressive. His night with Arthur in his mind was so convincing; _it should have been real._

He’s tasted Arthur in his imagination and now he craves the real thing, and even if it wasn’t technically real, Alfred couldn’t wipe the grin from his face as he laid on his back, breathing heavily as he physically recovered from his hot night. He could so easily imagine Arthur sleeping under Alfred’s stretched out arm, where he would fit so perfectly…

Thinking about it made Alfred miss Arthur so much; it physically hurt.

However, it was another Monday morning, so Alfred knew that he was going to see Arthur today, and so he happily got out of bed and ready to go to campus.

But before he left for the day, he wrote out his fourth letter for Arthur, this one was detailing the impact that Arthur had on his dreams, and how good it made him feel. How his sexual dreams with Arthur always made him wake up feeling good and ready for the day, and that he'd give  _anything_ for the real thing... Arthur just made Alfred feel so hot inside, he can barely keep himself together, even in sleep. 

Writing letters was Alfred’s release, and his way of telling Arthur how much he meant to him without revelling himself before he was ready. Besides, it’s telling Arthur that he is so deeply loved, so his initial negative reaction to Alfred’s first letter did not hinder the Americans pursuit, he was determined to constantly remind Arthur that there is a man nearby who loves him so passionately... 

This was becoming a game to Alfred, he would reveal all that he wanted to Arthur in his letters: he loved the fact that Arthur must be thinking of him so much, even though he hasn’t spoken to the group about the letters. Only that bastard Francis knew about them…

Would have Arthur kept Alfred’s letters for himself if Francis wasn’t there? Maybe then Arthur wouldn’t have acted so negatively in front of his friend… Alfred wanted to badly to believe that Arthur was interested, he was willing to convince himself of anything.

\-----

With his latest letter in his backpack, Alfred arrived at the campus with Matthew and they immediately made their way to the plaza, where Gilbert had told Matthew that the group was going to be having a late breakfast together before separating for classes.

When the brothers entered the Plaza, Alfred’s eyes locked instantly locked onto Arthur's face. Arthur noticed the brothers approaching, and the American’s heart skipped a beat when the Englishman smiled at him as other members of the group shuffled around to let Alfred and Matthew join them at the table.  
Arthur was eating a ham and cheese toasted sandwich from the café, and had what Alfred assumed was a cup of tea, judging by the teabag label and string that hung from underneath the soft plastic lid.

Lovino, Antonio, Francis and Gilbert were already sitting on the bench with Arthur, all having their own breakfasts and hot drinks, but naturally, Alfred took longer to process what was going on around him, as he remained so drawn in to Arthur’s smile, he forgot about the presence of the others.

Alfred had to stop himself from thinking too vividly about his fantasy last night, but it became so difficult when Arthur smiled at Alfred and Matthew, “Oh yeah, are you two busy not next weekend, but the weekend after?”

“Well, I’m not doing anything,” Matthew admitted, “As far as I know.”

“Me neither,” Alfred agreed, knowing that he is going to instantly push aside any other plans, no matter what Arthur was proposing.

“Well, there’s a band playing in Chicago to celebrate their album coming out, and I’ve chosen to do it for my journalism assignment.” Arthur explained, “I messaged the drummer and he said that I’m welcome to bring as many friends as I like, and since Chicago is around an hour away, we may as well make it a day out.”

“Oooh, that sounds cool!” Matthew replied.

“Yeah, and Chicago is around an hour and a half to two hours away by bus so, it’ll be worth spending the day in Chicago and seeing the show during the night,” Arthur explained.

“Yeah!” Alfred agreed, “That sounds really cool! What’s the band?”

“Ok, bear with me-- they’re a bit Indie,” Arthur explained, “but they’re fairly new and are releasing their first album and are hosting a party. They’re called ‘The Grand Bandits’. I only heard of them a week ago and I’m desperate to get this assignment done, so I’ve kissed their asses to get free invites and an interview.”

“Ahah!” Matthew laughed, before everyone turned to greet Ivan as he pulled over a spare chair to join the groups table.

Now that the conversation had moved on, Alfred started to watch Arthur again as the Englishman ate his breakfast. Alfred couldn’t help but wonder whether Arthur was thinking about his letters… Alfred even noticed that Arthur was looking around a lot more since he sat down; perhaps he is indeed thinking about the one who left him the love letters. Alfred defiantly did tell Arthur that he was being watched...  
  
But, Arthur’s face slowly started to change, his eyebrows furrowed as he looked around, appearing as though he was… _worried,_ like a deer on the lookout for hunters. And  _God,_ he looked so cute while doing it.   
Alfred smiled as he rested his head against his hand, finding peace in the fact that someday Arthur will learn the truth about him, _and them_ …

However, Alfred’s study of Arthur’s face removed any concerns that Alfred had, and all Alfred could think about was the fact that to him, Arthur was so gorgeous,  _it hurt._

“Arthur, are you ok?” Gilbert asked, snapping both Alfred and Arthur out of their trances.

 _“I’m fine…”_ Arthur grumbled, before he looked to Francis, who was already looking at him with a concerned glare. And then he asked Arthur something quietly in French, and to Alfred’s surprise; Arthur responded in French with no hesitation.

Alfred whispered so quietly, not even Matthew could hear him, _“I didn’t know you spoke French…”_ Alfred would be lying if he didn't find the fact that Arthur spoke French extremely  _hot._ He wants to hear Arthur speak French in a passionate moment, the thought of it made Alfred quiver. 

“Ok, now something is wrong, what’s going on?” Gilbert asked, by this point, the entire group was now focussing on Arthur, who stared at his tea with a sad glare.

“Ok…” Arthur murmured, looking up to meet the concerned glares of the rest of the group, after releasing a deep sigh, “I suppose it’s about time I let you know what’s going on, maybe then I can get some help…” Arthur paused to take in a deep breath, which left Alfred hanging by a thread in anticipation, “Since last Monday, I have received three letters that have been left with gifts in front of my bedroom door with chocolates.”

Alfred had to try so hard to not smile, knowing that by the end of the day: Arthur would have received _four_.

“What kind of letters…?” Lovino asked, frowning.

Arthur shuddered, “Creepy ones. This guy is obsessed with me. This guy talks about how much he watches me, how badly he _‘wants’_ me, loves me and even worse… _Ughh_ , I just feel so creeped out when reading them. They’re not even sexual— _I think,_ no one writes letters like that to someone they don't want to fuck. But just-- it’s just… _weird…”_  
Alfred’s eyes narrowed, knowing that the sexual nature of his letters was another fact that he knew was going to change after Arthur received his fourth letter…

 _“Whoa…”_ Antonio gasped.

 _"What?"_ Ivan asked, his eyes widening in surprise and shock. 

“This guy keeps leaving them in front of my door! His last letter was about him talking about how he’s never going to let me go, how we’re going to be together and be happy, _no matter what._ I don’t even know who this creep is, and yet he signs off as my _future husband!”_ Arthur exclaimed, becoming more and more frantic as he spoke. But Alfred had gone numb, not liking Arthur’s reaction, and so he kept telling himself that Arthur was pretending to react like that, he only wants the group’s sympathy… It's going to be ok, Alfred loves Arthur so much, and someday Arthur will return his love,  _it will be fine._

 _“His letters are gross and pathetic,”_ Francis hissed angrily, instantly earning an angry glare from Alfred, of which, thankfully: the Frenchman didn’t notice.

“Mm… I’m so worried, what if this creep is watching me right now?! I can’t even walk to campus without constantly watching my back! I'm kind of terrified.” Arthur asked, grabbing his hair with his fingers. “At first, I thought it was some kind of joke, but his letters just keep coming, as I said, I’ve gotten three of them within the last week.”

 _“Oh my God…”_ Matthew whispered, shocked before looking to Alfred with a concerned glare, to which Alfred copied back to him, in an effort to avoid all suspicion. He knew that Matthew’s reaction to Arthur’s situation was going to be larger, because he and Alfred know of a story with similar circumstances, because it explains why Alfred doesn’t talk to his birth-mother.

“I’m so sorry that is happening to you,” Ivan murmured, staring at Arthur with concerned, but humbled eyes.

“So, what do you know about this guy?” Alfred asked, giving Arthur a matching concerned glare.

“I don’t know much…” Arthur admitted, “He’s very … determined, I think maybe he may be an international student: it’s the only way I can understand how he found out where my room is.”

“That is _so_ creepy,” Antonio gasped, “I never thought something like this would happen here.”

“Oh yeah, this is insane,” Matthew added, “Have you asked if you can move rooms?”

“Not yet,” Arthur sighed, “I don’t want to make this an issue.”

“But this _IS_ an issue,” Francis pointed out, “Yes, it is just letters: but how long will it remain as just letters?”

Arthur shivered as he took in a deep breath, “Fine. Fine. I’ll see what I can do...” Arthur hissed as he stood up from his seat, “I’m going to get some more tea, can someone come with me?”  
Lovino nodded as he stood up from his place next to Antonio and accompanied Arthur to the café.

Once Arthur was out of earshot, Francis faced the rest of the group with a serious expression; Alfred could tell that he was going to be pissed off by whatever the Frenchman had to say. 

“He may pretend that he is fine, but he’s freaking out: that’s why he’s getting a little defensive. I think we all need to come together and help him. I’ve only read one of those letters, and I can tell that this person is disturbed and I am honestly concerned about Arthur’s safety,” Francis explained, like he's somehow a fucking  _expert_ on Arthur. 

“Of course, what should we do?” Antonio agreed.

“Maybe we should guard him,” Gilbert suggested.

“That’s what I’m thinking, but we shouldn’t make it obvious; we don’t want this creep knowing that we’re onto him,” Francis explained.

“Perhaps we should make sure that Arthur is with someone at all times,” Alfred pointed out, trying so hard to not laugh at Francis’ statement and the irony of the situation from Alfred’s perspective. “Like, we’re all pretty well built and tall guys, if someone sketchy tries to approach Arthur, we could easily intervene.”

“That’s a good idea,” Gilbert agreed, “Someone should always walk Arthur back to the dormitories… Fuck, this is even creeping me out! _Jesus Christ!”_

“I’ve known Arthur for years and I’ve never seen him act like this,” Francis grimaced, _“What if it gets worse…?”_

“I happy with walk him anywhere,” Ivan pointed out.

 _“Same!”_ Alfred quickly added, _“I’ll kick anyone’s ass if they try to hurt him!”_

“Ok, when Arthur gets back we’ll all compare schedules and see what we can do,” Francis pointed out.

 _“Oh shit!”_ Matthew hissed as he glanced at his phone, as he struggled to leave the bench “I have my lecture in five, Alfred, show the others my schedule, I’m happy to walk Arthur anywhere too!”

“Will do,” Alfred replied as Matthew ran off. Silently, Alfred was relieved that Matthew had to leave before schedules were compared… Only Matthew knew that Alfred changed his schedule less than three days ago, and he would have openly pointed that out, and state how it is suspiciously close to Arthurs…

“I’m shocked,” Ivan grimaced, “Are the letters really bad?”

“I’ve only seen one…” Francis sighed, “But, he probably would show me the other two if I asked.”  
At that idea, Alfred had to fight off the urge to snap at Francis: _those letters aren’t for him,_ he has no right to spy on his love for Arthur. It was pissing him off. But there was no way he could risk anyone figuring that out, not now, not when he’s so close to Arthur.

But Francis just had to keep… _fucking_ … talking, “I can only imagine what else this creep has to say. The fact that he talks as though he’s already in a relationship with Arthur, and he even signs off as his ‘future husband’, _who the fuck does that?"_

 _“Sicko…”_ Gilbert grumbled.

“Mm…” Alfred muttered, “But yeah, I’ll happily walk him anywhere he needs.”

Finally, Arthur returned to the table with Lovino, both holding their own hot drinks, frowning when they saw the rest of the group staring at them with concerned and serious glares.

When Arthur sat back down, everyone compared their class schedules, after Arthur’s needless protests against it. By the end of the hour, it was resolved that Alfred will walk Arthur back to the dormitories on Tuesdays, Wednesday’s and Thursdays, Ivan will walk with Arthur on Fridays and Francis and Gilbert will walk with him on Mondays.

It was a better arrangement than Alfred could have asked for, and he was happy to see that Arthur was more than happy to accept it. _Perhaps this was a sign._

\-----------

Alfred went to class that day more than excited for tomorrow, he was going to be Arthur’s knight and escort him back to the international dorms like the hero he was. He was going to protect Arthur from anything that scared him! It was going to be perfect! Alfred felt like he was going to be Arthur's hero, and their relationship will only get better because of this. 

As well as this, Alfred found confidence in the fact that the group completely trusted him -- no one even questioned why Arthur and Alfred’s schedules were so close. Everyone was happy when Alfred volunteered to walk Arthur more than anyone else had, and the smile on Arthur’s face was the cherry on top, Alfred was a hero to them. But little do they understand, the wolf they’re so desperate to keep Arthur away from is among them, and they’ve practically handed Arthur over on a silver platter.

Later in the day, he left his class twenty minutes earlier to walk back to the international dorms by himself, and deliver Arthur’s fourth letter, and a small stuffed bear with brown fluffy fur, his first non-edible present, for a _very special letter_. As he set up Arthur’s gifts, he pondered over whether he should remind Arthur in his next letter to keep these letters to himself; he can’t have Arthur sharing the intimate letters with everyone… These letters were Alfred pouring his heart out to Arthur, and it hurt that Arthur wasn’t taking them as seriously as Alfred hoped…  
 _Maybe this one will change that…_

After dropping off his letter and present, Alfred returned to the Plaza where he knew the group were hanging around, and as Alfred expected, he walked right past Arthur as he left the building where he just had his class. Arthur jumped with surprise as the American nearly walked into him, and for a second Alfred could see Arthur look at him with eyes filled with fear, until Arthur recognised him and smiled; filing Alfred’s heart with warmth. 

“Sorry, I should’ve watched where I was going!” Alfred chuckled, laughing nervously as he ran his hand through his hair.

But Arthur kept smiling at him, “No, it’s fine. You nearly scared the shit out of me! I just wanted to say, thank you for offering to walk me back to the dormitories on so many days.”

“Oh! No problem! We finish at the same time anyways! Maybe we could even catch something to eat sometime after class?” Alfred asked as he and Arthur started to make their way towards the group, who had managed to claim the same bench they had in the morning, despite the growing crowd in the wide plaza.  
As Alfred watched Arthur’s eyes widen at the suggestion, Alfred felt his heart fill with hope, like he was viewing the world through rose-coloured glasses, just by looking into the Englishman’s eyes. Alfred had to try so hard to not make it obvious that he was looking at Arthur like he was he most precious, gorgeous creature…

Arthur softly replied to Alfred’s suggestion in a way that made Alfred’s spine tingle in delight, “I’d like that…”

Alfred’s heart raced just from the way Arthur looked at him, looking so gorgeous; it hurt. The way he looked up at Alfred with his radiating green eyes from underneath his bold brows. He was so sexy; Alfred had to beat away his perverted thoughts with a stick. As he and Arthur walked back to the bench, he smiled at the group like everything was normal, like his heart wasn’t racing at a million miles an hour. He just wanted to cuddle Arthur and never let him go, he just looked so cute in his grey sweater and black jeans, the poor guy must have been freezing in the bitter fall weather. But yet, Arthur was walking around like it was no problem.

Despite the fact that it was a Monday and Alfred wasn’t the one to walk Arthur back to the dormitories that night, Alfred was still more than happy, knowing that his three days were coming. Even though the walk to the dormitories was a short one, it was time alone with Arthur, and that’s all that Alfred needed…


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are many categories of stalkers but the most notable types are: the intimacy seeker, the rejected, the resentful, the incompetent suitor and the most dangerous of all, the predatory. They can all range from being someone who is socially inept, to a dangerous psychopath. 
> 
> Which type Alfred is could really impact how this story ends…

It has now been a month since Alfred’s obsession over the Englishman began, and has shown no sign of slowing down.

However, he has noticed a change in the intensity of his urge and possessiveness over Arthur, it turns out that walking Arthur back to the dormitories three days a week had become some kind of therapy to Alfred, because he was able to walk peacefully with Arthur, with there being no interruptions or ‘friends’ to distract them.  
Alfred figured that he didn’t feel a need to stalk Arthur so aggressively because he had his own time with him, and it calmed him down… It was like turning down the heat setting on the stove when the water was boiling too much, it prevented Alfred's possessive nature from spilling over and creating a mess...

Alfred would walk with Arthur for the ten-minute journey to the international dorms from the main campus, but that was all the time Alfred needed to get his fix. And in these talks, he had come to love everything about Arthur with much more intensity, everything from how he laughed, to how he wobbled a little when a strong breeze came by -- _Oh,_ and Alfred especially loved the way Arthur's eyes lit up when he spoke about something that interested him, it was like watching fireworks explode in a green sky.  
When they were walking like that, Alfred felt warm and peaceful… he felt genuinely happy…

 _And it was all because_ _of him..._

As they spoke more, Alfred could feel Arthur warm up to him, and as they got to know each other a little more after each walk, Alfred could tell that Arthur was genuinely enjoying his company too. Following this realisation, Alfred had to fight the urge to just hug Arthur right there and release every pent up feeling inside of him. But he was smarter than to do that, Arthur wasn’t ready for him to confess yet – but that time will come, someday.

There were so many instances where Alfred just stared at Arthur as he talked, he was completely caught in his trance and wrapped around Arthur’s little finger. Alfred was smitten beyond comprehension, and he _loved_ it. Never before had Alfred felt something with so much intensity and passion, his love for Arthur was something that he never thought he could experience, it made him feel _alive._ And Alfred’s obsession only became deeper as he spent more and more time with Arthur.

On his first night walking him, Alfred learned that Arthur comes from Amersham, a small town that’s around a forty-minute train ride from London, and he chose to do some study in America, partially because he is fascinated by American media studies. By the sixth time that they completed their walk back to the dormitories, Alfred felt like he could write a textbook on Arthur.  
  
Only as Alfred learned more about Arthur, the more he became drawn to him. According to Alfred: their forming relationship was a sign that his stalking was working, that Alfred's letters and behaviour was bringing them together! They wouldn’t be walking like this if it weren’t for Alfred’s behaviour, so it’s gotta be ok… Once again, he managed to justify his behaviour without a struggle…  
But yet, being around Arthur so much did help manage the intensity of the obsession. He didn't feel the urge to sabotage anything else, because his alone time with Arthur was all he needed to feel satisfied, _for now_.

But even the time that he spent with Arthur didn’t stop the influx of letters and gifts that he left for Arthur by his door. Alfred had vowed both to himself and to Arthur through his writing that he will never stop, not until the day he dies.  
Arthur has since noticeably avoided speaking about the letters to the rest of the group, he was never the one to bring it up in conversation. It was always Francis, fucking _Francis_ just had to make it known that this was still happening to Arthur, and worry the entire group. What the fuck is he trying to achieve?! Those letters were for Arthur only and he had NO RIGHT to read them!  
At least… Alfred hoped that Arthur hadn’t let Francis read all of them… He wouldn’t do that…  Arthur wouldn't let Francis read Alfred's precious letters to him... _Right…?_  
  
There were seven letters now, seven letters that have all addressed to Arthur since he started writing them two weeks ago, all of which varied in subjects; from the way Arthur looked, to how deeply Alfred loved him, to the future that Alfred wanted with him and more recently; his deepest sexual desires with Arthur. Alfred was starting to get more adventurous in his letter writing, and they were getting bolder and more passionate... 

Maybe now, or after dozens more letters: Alfred hoped that Arthur will wake up and realise that Alfred, nor his love, are going anywhere.

But still, despite how Arthur's demeanour changed when the topic of Alfred’s letters was brought up, Arthur was still radiating fun energy, no matter where he went.

And as the group boarded the bus to make their way to Chicago, Alfred rushed to get a seat next to Arthur, only to be struck in the heart when he saw that Arthur already chose to sit next to Francis…

Fine then…. If Arthur is going to pick Francis over him, then he will just have to try even harder…

Alfred settled with sitting next to Matthew, because Matthew was the next best thing to sitting next to Arthur, according to Alfred. Matthew smiled at him as he sat down while he began to undo the zipper of his fluffy tanned coat as the bus closed its doors and the cold weather was locked out.

Alfred looked around his seat to see where everyone was seated, Gilbert had taken the two seats behind Alfred and Matthew, Ivan had taken the two in front, while Francis and Arthur sat directly across from Alfred and Matthew, and Antonio and Lovino sat behind them; still linked by the hands.

“So, I spent last night looking for things to do in Chicago during the fall, and the party doesn’t start until 6pm,” Arthur explained as he took out his phone. “There are a lot of cool restaurants we could look at, as well as museums and some parks we could hang out in.”

“Look at you, you’ve got a list,” Francis chuckled, resting his head on Arthur’s shoulder to look at the Englishman’s phone, which made Alfred internally writhe with jealousy. What the hell is he going to do about THAT?! That blatant display from Francis made Alfred want to scream,  _what kind of right does he have to touch Arthur like that?!_

It was driving the American crazier the longer he watched them, it made him want to be sick as he started at the Frenchman when he smiled with Arthur throughout the bus ride. Alfred was transfixed to the pair as they talked to each other, and judging by the way their mouths moved: they were speaking in French. It was making Alfred shiver with anxiety and made his knees jump, he could feel his heart was breaking… He needed to make this stop! He needed to keep Arthur safe!! He can’t let him be taken away from him!! 

 _Stop smiling at him like that, Arthur... Please..._  

“So, Gilbert, what part of Germany are you from?” Matthew asked Gilbert, taking Alfred away from his intense train of thought, but it still didn’t take him help him get any further away from having a panic-attack.

“Hamburg,” Gilbert replied, smiling at Matthew, “It’s a beautiful city.”

“Oh yeah! I’ve seen photos of it! Our dad has gone there for business a few times!” Matthew added, looking at Alfred, almost expecting him to join the conversation. Alfred has been so involved with conversations since Matthew has joined the group, so naturally he expected Alfred to play along with this one. And so, since he didn’t want Matthew to suspect that anything was wrong, Alfred played along while keeping a sly-eye on Arthur and Francis.

“Yeah, yeah… I really want to go there some day…” Alfred agreed.

“So, what brought you here?” Matthew asked Gilbert.

“Well, I’m doing a business management degree with Hamburg University, and there was an opportunity to study overseas for a year, so I picked here,” Gilbert explained, relaxing his posture somewhat as his eyes narrowed at Matthew while his smile widened, “I’m glad I did.”

“What about you, Ivan?” Matthew asked, catching the Russian's attention.

“Architecture,” Ivan replied, smiling at the brothers as he put his Russian to English dictionary in his bag. Alfred was honestly not surprised he brought it with him: Ivan uses that little book like a security-blanket, “How often are you told that, um, you look same?”

“Waaay too often,” Alfred muttered, chuckling with Matthew.

“Yeah, when we were in elementary school, we told everyone we were twins, it worked for years,” Matthew chuckled, “But hey, you should see us next to our dad, it’s crazy how alike we all look! Do you guys have any other family?”

Gilbert nodded, “A little brother.”

“Older and younger sisters,” Ivan replied.

“Aww, that’s nice,” Matthew replied, before he turned to keep talking to Gilbert and Ivan, and Alfred purposely let himself leave the conversation, returning all of his attention to Arthur, to see that he and Francis were talking to Antonio and Lovino.  
But he was pulled back into the conversation before he could truly focus, “Alfred, how long is the bus ride again?”

“Around an hour and a half,” Alfred replied.

“Heh,” Gilbert chuckled as he leant forward and wrapped his arms over the top of Matthew’s chair, “That’s a lot of time to get to know each other…”

Matthew chuckled, as he looked to both Ivan and Gilbert, “What do you two think of the states?”

“It’s nice, but commercials are so cringy—the ones for Jack in the Box genuinely scares me,” Gilbert explained.

“Haha! Yes!” Matthew laughed, “And how the ads for medication literally last a couple of minutes, with most of it being cautionary information!”

 _“YES!”_ Gilbert agreed, sending the trio into laughter, not even Alfred could resist a smile.

“What about, um, there’s the… Um…” Ivan murmured, deep in thought, “Powell Electric!”

“Oh my god, yes!” Matthew gasped, “The acting and that theme!”

Gilbert laughed, singing the catchy jingle of the advert, _“Call Powell Electric: We’ll fix it in a FLASH!”_

 _“Oh my god, is that the fucking Powell Electric advert?! That was all over Los Angeles!”_ Arthur asked as he moved from his spot next to Francis, who was too busy staring out the window, and sat on the seat next to Ivan’s on his knees, looking down at the rest of the group, “Don’t get me fucking started!”  
  
Instantly, Alfred was more invested in the conversation than before, Arthur had instantly caught his interest and now he wanted to give Arthur more of a reason to stay where he was. Although, he would have preferred if Arthur sat next to him instead of Ivan, but some things can’t be helped, this was as good as it was going to get for the rest of the bus ride.

And luckily for Alfred, Arthur did stay there for the rest of the bus ride, even though he did spend a fairly large amount of it either on his phone, or talking to Ivan privately, which Alfred could somewhat deal with... _Somewhat._ But there were times when the entire group was in a discussion, either about what was going on with classes, or what they were going to do in Chicago, since they were only going to arrive there at mid-day.  
  
Alfred couldn’t deny that the atmosphere was nice, everyone was laughing together, and he left like he belonged. But yet, he also couldn’t deny that Arthur was the one who really drew Alfred into the conversation, the second Arthur turned around to look at everyone Alfred was instantly engaged, like he was some kind of alarm clock.

\-----

Alfred honestly couldn’t care less about the fact that he was in Chicago, it was the fact that Arthur was there that kept Alfred interested and engaged in the world around him. This wasn’t the first time that Alfred had been to Chicago during fall, but never before had he seen it with so much … _colour._ The sky was blue and the wind blew the golden leaves across the street, he felt like the city had come to life with Arthur in it, at least from Alfred's perspective. Arthur brought so much light into Alfred’s life so instantly, he wondered how he’d ever be able to live without him...

The last time Alfred was in Chicago, he just went to dinner with his family, he didn’t care about what the city was famous for, or the architecture or the people there. But now, with Arthur around he became attentive and aware of the beauty around him, he saw life in a city that he never acknowledged before, and he couldn’t help but feel as though he only had Arthur to thank for it. It was just another thing to add to the expanding list of reasons that Alfred loved Arthur. 

Alfred watched as Arthur ran through the golden piles of leaves, kicking them around like a small child having a great time. But Alfred frowned when he saw Ivan joining him, throwing more leaves all over Arthur from his astounding height. Ivan was loving the leaves just as much as Arthur was, despite how much Lovino berated them.

They laughed together as they kicked up the leaves, and threw them at each other... It would have been humbling,  _if Alfred was the one that Arthur was playing with._ But it wasn't, and all Alfred could do was watch as this other man invaded Arthur's space... 

But then, Alfred froze when he saw Arthur fall into a pile of leaves, spreading them around like dust, and then Ivan laid down next to him, just leaving a small space between them. The sickening feeling returned in Alfred’s stomach… Especially when he watched Arthur roll to his side, resting perfectly on the bed of golden leaves with Ivan beside him. Alfred could feel his heart start to ache as he watched them, staring at each other and smiling so sweetly… Alfred wanted to be fucking sick… Feeling his jealousy kick in Alfred jumped up from his seat on the park bench next to Matthew and ran over to the pair, instantly falling into the leaves, his head landing right between them, ruining their eye contact, and their moment. 

Now he had more reasons to be concerned over how much time Arthur was spending with Ivan... And Alfred wondered whether he would need to intervene... 

 _“YO!”_ Alfred cheered, chuckling as he watched Arthur yelp in surprise, which was one of the cutest things that Alfred had ever seen.

“Fuck! Alfred, you dick!” Arthur hissed as he smacked Alfred on the shoulder, as the American chuckled, “You scared me!”

“Haha, sorry about that~” Alfred chuckled as he smiled widely at Arthur, amazed at how gorgeous the Englishman looked against the backdrop of gold, red and brown leaves, seeing how his green eyes stood out from the warm colours of the leaves, which reflected against his cheeks in such a way that made Arthur look like he was going bright red. Alfred would  _kill_ for a photo of Arthur like that. He just looked so adorable, Alfred couldn’t help but smile.

“This looks like fun!” Francis chirped as he joined the trio on the leaves, forcing Alfred to move back as everyone started to join them and lie together, creating a circle of their heads as they all laid in the huge pile of leaves. Then Antonio convinced a stranger to stand on the bench and take a photo of everyone lying in a circle on the golden leaves.

After the photo was taken the group finally decided to get some late lunch before making their way to the show venue, where Arthur was hoping to meet with the band and get his interviews before the music started.

\------

To say that the venue was not what Alfred was expecting was an understatement; all that could be seen from the street was the dark staircase that led down to the underground club, already the place felt completely suspicious. The interior was lined completely with concrete, with graffitied walls and red carpet and a large bar lining one wall, with multiple tenders getting ready to start the night shift, and the stage was in the far corner of the room, where the band was setting up — Despite the nicer features of the venue, Alfred still felt like he was standing under a bridge.

The people that were gathering around inside the club were questionable at best. Many eyes followed the group as they stood around and gathered their bearings, and Alfred couldn't help but feel as though those people would happily pounce on the group and rob them at any second, or harass them without provocation. Alfred was sure to keep close to Arthur during the walk towards the stage, where Arthur then stepped forward and talked with the band, introducing himself.

“Hey, this place is pretty suspicious…” Matthew whispered as he leant into Alfred so they could talk more privately, wary of the people around the group, “Let’s just all keep an eye on each other.”

“Right,” Alfred agreed, intending to keep Arthur away from those creeps, no matter what.

“Keep an eye on your drinks, guys,” Gilbert muttered as he walked by Alfred and Matthew, “I have a bad feeling about this place.”

And so, the group decided that it would be best if they all stuck together and only stuck to drinking from soda cans, until security finally arrived and ushered the loiterers from the venue, telling them to smoke outside.

Arthur was finished with interviewing the band within twenty minutes, and it seemed like they were nice enough to convince Arthur and Francis that this party could be trustworthy. And so, after a small discussion, they group decided to stay and at least hear a few songs. Slowly, as the time passed, more people started to enter the venue, they didn’t look any more reliable than the smokers who were kicked out. It looked like this band had a gothic and hipster vibe to them, which drew in an interesting crowd of people, but Alfred knew that everything was going to be fine if he stuck by Arthur.  
Apparently, _Ivan_ had the same idea…

Alfred watched as the Russian moved wherever Arthur went as the night dragged on and the club quickly became crowded with more and more people. But as the music started playing and it became harder to hear, Alfred watched with evil eyes whenever Arthur stood on his toes and Ivan would have to lean down just so they could talk, even in the darkness of the club, Alfred could see them like a hawk could see a mouse. They would get so close, it made Alfred shiver just watching them. Alfred didn't care if they were _just talking,_ hell, Arthur and Antonio would have been just talking before Alfred had to sabotage their hook-up! It was only made worse when they smiled at each other, it was little things like that made Alfred feel bitter and jealous… Why isn’t Arthur relying on him for protection? Why the hell has Arthur not come up to him since he finished the interview?!

Alfred only got more and more pissed off as the night went on, he would pretend to smile for the people who were having fun around him. But Alfred felt himself disassociating from everything, with only Arthur becoming Alfred’s priority… He was only getting more and more angry on the inside as he watched him chat and laugh with that _Russian_ , but he camouflaged it perfectly through smiling and laughing, so not even Matthew could tell that something was deeply disturbing Alfred.

But, everything became better when Arthur joined Alfred, Matthew and Lovino and of course: Ivan followed him like a lost dog. Arthur looked at Alfred before lifting his phone and telling him to smile, and so, Alfred smiled brighter than he had in years as the flash went off. Now that Arthur’s attention was on him, all of Alfred’s anger and anxiety dissolved in an instant, like Arthur was a refreshing gust of wind. Now determined to keep Arthur’s attention on him, Alfred spoke with him and regrettably Ivan, he was desperate to keep Arthur’s interest on him, he doesn’t want him to leave again…

“What do you think of the band?!” Alfred asked loudly, leaning into Arthur so the Englishman could hear him, and Alfred could get a good whiff of his hair...  _Intoxicating._ Before he had to repeat what he said so the rest of the group could hear him too, but that small moment with Arthur was so worth it. 

“Well, they’re nice people, but all of their songs sound so familiar: I can probably play some of the songs already,” Arthur chuckled.

“I think their music is ok,” Lovino pointed out, “Ok: but not much else.”

“Yeah, they do sound familiar,” Alfred agreed.

“But, I’m glad they like me, I could use them as contacts for when they get their first copyright lawsuit, I could write another assignment on that.” Arthur laughed, “These songs are too similar to so many others.”

“Yeah! I listen to so many of the songs and nearly sing the wrong thing!” Matthew pointed out.

“I even think I recognise the beatings,” Ivan explained, completely missing his blunder with the English language, but neither Arthur or Alfred corrected him. While Ivan’s English wasn’t terrible, he did make many little mistakes, Alfred couldn’t help but wonder how Ivan coped with assignments.

But then, Francis joined in their conversation, with a worried look on his face, _“I think we should leave.”_

“What? Why?” Arthur asked.

“Someone just tried to sell me drugs, he grabbed me as I was leaving the bathrooms and tried to get me to buy this stuff, I think I’m bruised! There were already some pretty suspicious people gathering in the men's bathroom,” Francis explained, “I don’t like this place, we should leave before he tries again!”

“Shit! Ok, we should find everyone and leave, maybe we should even get dinner before going back to Rockford,” Arthur decided.

“Fuck that, I’d rather go straight to Rockford,” Lovino exclaimed.

“Alright, that’s fine!” Arthur replied, before looking at his phone, “It’s only 8, so we should get back to Rockford at 10:30 if we catch the 9 o’clock bus.”

“Alright: I was just at the bar with Gilbert and Antonio, I’ll get them and we can all leave,” Francis explained as the rest of the group nodded in agreement.

“I’ve got everything I need for my assignment, I don’t have to be nice to the band anymore,” Arthur pointed out.

 _“Ugh,_ by the look of this place, I’m not surprised there’s users here,” Matthew sighed, “Shame… We were having a good time, but it’s not worth it.”  
Quickly the group abandoned the party, not interested in mixing with a crowd like that.

But right when Alfred thought he had all of Arthur’s attention, he was struck right through the heart when he saw Ivan stand before Arthur and bend his knees, but then Arthur jumped onto his back. Alfred wanted nothing more than to tackle the Russian to the ground as Ivan straightened his back and lifted Arthur from the ground, piggybacking him as the group walked down the street. Arthur hooked his arms around Ivan’s shoulders in an effort to keep himself attached to Ivan’s back like a baby koala. It was driving Alfred crazy, he was angry that Ivan had gotten to do that, but he was also angry that he wasn’t the one carrying Arthur. If Arthur asked, Alfred would not only have only done that, he would have carried Arthur bridal-style, hell—he would have been willing to crawl on his hands and knees and let Arthur sit on his back if he wished!!

Arthur pulled himself up Ivan’s back to place his head on Ivan’s shoulder, so he could see the footpath in front of them, he even fucking snuggled a little bit, which made Alfred's hairs stand on end, and his eye twitch a little. Alfred just couldn’t stop watching them as he walked near them, completely ignoring the conversation with Matthew and Gilbert that he was involved in less than a minute ago.

Alfred was transfixed on Arthur and Ivan, feeling the same sickening feeling in his stomach churn in anxiety and jealousy. He wasn’t liking this at all, but he couldn’t do anything other than watch and pray that neither of them saw anything deeper in their interaction—Ivan has already been giving Alfred anxiety all night. The Russian was playing his luck without even knowing it, and Alfred was slowly getting more and more impatient with him…

 _He wants to take Arthur away,_ Alfred thought... He could imagine it, he could imagine Ivan trying to do exactly what Antonio did! Take Arthur into his arms and  _touch him..._ Just the mental image of it tightened all of Alfred's muscles, and he had to resist to urge to let his pain show on his face. 

Thankfully, Arthur and Ivan ended up separating on the bus, and Arthur ended up sitting next to Francis again, much to Alfred’s disappointment. But, he was still happy to sit next to Matthew again, who was still deep into his conversation with Gilbert. Alfred honestly didn’t care about what they were talking about, because the second he looked at his phone, he saw that he had two Instagram notifications, telling him that he had been tagged in a photo.

Curious, Alfred unlocked his phone to check it out, and nearly grasped his heart in shock when he saw that the notification was something that Arthur had posted. It was the photo that Arthur took of Alfred in the club, it was of him standing against the graffitied concrete wall while holding a can of soda, smiling at the camera like an Oscar-winner. Alfred felt his heart race as he saw that Arthur had written underneath it, _‘@Alfred_F_Jones, how do you always look like a model?’_ , Alfred almost couldn’t contain his smile: so happy that Arthur thought he was good-looking, like a _MODEL_ no les! In the photo, Alfred’s skin looked perfect in the light and his eyes shone from behind his thick-rimmed glasses. He could see his black beanie, red flannel and grey jacket and his black shirt underneath because the photo was cut off at Alfred’s waist. Instantly Alfred liked it and continued to scroll down Arthur’s Instagram, seeing that he has posted multiple pictures today, including the one where the whole group was lying in the leaves, which Arthur had tagged a few members of the group in, Alfred had to admit, it was a nice picture, but it upset him that he and Arthur were not lying next to each other in the circle.

“What’re you looking at?” Matthew asked, peering over to look on Alfred’s phone.

Alfred thought quickly, and came up with a perfect distraction, “How fucking alike do we look in this, we could sooo pull of the twin thing again!”

“Oh my God, yes!” Matthew replied, “Oh yeah, I should give Arthur my Instagram, I heard he posts a lot of cool photos!”

“Yeah, yeah, he does,” Alfred explained, letting Matthew get out his phone and note down Arthur’s Instagram name.

Even though this was hardly a stressful situation, Alfred was happy that he managed to avoid too much questioning from Matthew. Hell, he didn’t even need that excuse about the twin thing, he could have just showed Matthew the photo of him that Arthur tagged him in and that would have been just fine, but still: at least Matthew’s mind is off him now.

As the bus ride continued, Alfred found himself staring at Francis and Arthur as they sat in on the seat in front of his and Matthews. They started whispering quietly to each other, and Alfred was sure that they were speaking French, as lip reading was impossible.

But it was the look of worry on their faces that made Alfred more concerned than the language, Arthur was sighing a lot and kept his head low, as though he was trying to shield the worry in his beautiful eyes. But Francis could see right through it, and continued to speak to Arthur, even as the Englishman trembled and brought his hands to his face.  _Was Francis making him upset?_ Alfred could tell instantly that Francis was asking him about the letters, it’s the only reason why they would be speaking in French; when they knew that no one else could understand them. That pissed Alfred off so much, he wanted to hear what his sweetheart was saying and what that Frenchman was saying back to him! He wanted to know what Arthur was telling him about the letters!! 

They were definitely talking about the fucking letters, _weren’t they?!_ Francis was making the situation worse than it appeared, and Arthur was believing him: Alfred could see it happening! He could only imagine what wrong things Francis was saying about Alfred’s love, and Arthur had no option other than to agree with him! Alfred wanted to stop this, badly, but he knew that doing so would only prove the Frenchman's point. Francis’ words from when the letters were first talked about among the group still stung him... How dare Francis say that Alfred is pathetic and creepy! Alfred only loves Arthur—the letters aren’t creepy, yes: they were a bit much sometimes; Alfred was willing to admit that-- but they’re what he felt was necessary!

Besides… Writing the letters and delivering them to Arthur felt as good as therapy to him, he got a high just thinking about Arthur reading his letters and visualising what their future will be like…

  
_But..._ No matter how angry he was, Alfred couldn’t ignore how good Arthur’s mouth looked as he spoke French, even in a hushed and deeper tone… _God,_ Alfred could just imaging Arthur whispering dirty French words into his ear while they—Alfred dare not visualise it too much! He can’t risk making his arousal obvious... But Alfred will definitely remember the idea, so he can explore it later when he's alone and in bed... 

Now he was focussing on what he’s going to do to combat Francis’ interference, in fact, he was also thinking about what he can do about Ivan too. There was no way he could do what he did with Antonio and Lovino again: that was set up so perfectly, God probably wanted Alfred to get them together! There’s no hope like that for Francis or Ivan!

Maybe if he kept using his letters to Arthur to keep him from talking… Maybe in his letters, he could not only vent out his love, but his _frustrations_ too. Alfred really didn’t appreciate Arthur sharing the details of his intimate letters with other people, especially when it was with Francis. Maybe if Arthur knew how much this upset him, he’d be more careful next time…  
Although… It’s simply impossible for Alfred to be mad at Arthur… It’s not his fault that these people gravitate towards him: it’s just up to Alfred to protect him…

The bus ride back to Rockford from Chicago was a lot faster than Alfred remembered it being on the way there, but then again: Alfred had something to watch and deeper things to think about in order to pass the time… But sadly, after the group got off the bus, the international students of the group started the walk to campus, waving goodbye at Alfred and Matthew as they made their way to the stations car-park, calling shotgun to not be the one to make the short drive back to their apartment where Alfred knew that he would begin to draft his latest letter to Arthur, where he could vent out his frustrations.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Paranoia may make a stalker act aggressively towards any third parties. They may believe there is a conspiracy to keep their love object away from them. They believe that it they can eliminate the intrusive third party, they will protect the object of their desire from someone or some imagined danger, and can consummate the fantasy relationship.

‘You know that I write these letters for you only, _right?_ Why would you talk about these letters to your friends like that!? I see you talk to them, and I know you're talking about me and my letters- and it makes me fucking sick! You do know that they only want to keep us apart!? They don't want us to be happy together!! And they’re only going to get in our way if you _LET THEM_ , Sugar. Why would you tell them what I write to you? Lord knows how much you’re telling them, Honey; so, all I can do is worry! Can you imagine what kind of stress you're putting me through right now!? 

Don't let them infect your mind with untrue things! I only want to love you, my darling, my precious, precious darling! I love you so much, I don't know what to do with myself, and if I lose you, I will SNAP! Don't let them get in between us, or there will be issues!

Why would you do that to me, Sweetness?! I start my letters as ‘to my Dearest Arthur,’ FOR A REASON: _You are MINE, and ONLY MINE. _

I will not accept this! I will not accept you telling your friends about my letters, and letting them say such mean and untrue things! What the fuck do they know?! They don't love you like I do, _and no one else will!_ It makes me angry enough to tear my hair out!! How could you do this to me!?!  _All I want to do is give you my love!!_

I love you, baby, I really do, but this is really starting to piss me off!! I pour my heart out to you, darling, and I really don’t appreciate you sharing the things that I write to you with your friends, especially that French one!

You’re breaking my heart here, sweetheart, _and I know you don’t want to do that…’_

 

That was only a fraction of the things that Alfred said to Arthur in his letter, and it was the tamest of them... But then again, that was just an introduction to what Alfred was going to say... 

Alfred did admit; his long letter had gotten a bit harsh on Arthur, but by the time Alfred was finished writing, it was 3:30am and he was just over two pages in, and this was after restarting it six times! So, by this point Alfred didn’t care about sounding harsh, he just wanted Arthur to understand that it’s not a good thing to share his intimate letters with others! He hoped that this would make a difference.

Alfred was so desperate to get this letter to Arthur, so he purposely travelled to campus on a Sunday just to place the letter in front of Arthur’s door, and left again before anyone saw him. Thankfully, it was still early morning when Alfred did this, so hardly any students were out of their rooms yet. Alfred set up his chocolate bar and letter in front of Arthur’s door, staring intensely at the doorknob.

He couldn't help but wonder whether Arthur still kept his door unlocked… If he did, Alfred could easily go in there again... Maybe get some more photos... Maybe even _touch--_  
  
Alfred quickly shook the idea out of his head, that wasn’t going to work right now. Besides, his sweetheart deserves to rest. Because this new letter was going to wake him right up… So then, Alfred immediately left, and went right back to bed before Matthew had even woken up.

The morning after Alfred delivered his letter, he waited at the table with the group, waiting eagerly for Arthur to arrive. So far, very few people were at the table, Lovino told him that Francis was staying in the dorms today because of a cold, and Ivan was supposed to be walking Arthur to school instead. Alfred didn’t know which was worse. Finally, when Arthur arrived with Ivan walking beside him, Alfred’s eyes lit up.

Except, Arthur didn’t look like his usual self. Arthur was holding himself as he stumbled over to the bench; wearing only black jeans and a black hoodie, he may have looked exhausted, but his eyes were wide as he scanned the entire plaza. Even from this distance, Alfred could see that Arthur was trembling. Ivan was also looking more stressed than usual, and his eyes were scanning the entire area, but he wasn’t afraid to look like a terrifying bodyguard, which just made Alfred scoff, _who does he think he is?_

But there was something more important for Alfred to be concerned about, but as he moved to the end of the bench in order to get up and go to Arthur, Gilbert beat him to it and raced from the table to Arthur, immediately sensing the tension.  
But they were close enough for Alfred to hear.

 _“What did he do?”_ Gilbert asked, reacting to Arthur's visible distress.   
_WHAT?! –_ Alfred thought, had Arthur been speaking to Gilbert about the letters too?!

But, Arthur kept his mouth shut, shaking his head as he put his hand over his mouth and tightly closed his eyes. If he was speaking to Gilbert about the letters before, _he won’t be anymore._

Arthur’s demeanour was worrying, even for Alfred and instantly the American became concerned. Alfred didn’t want to make Arthur upset, Alfred quickly stood up from his place on the bench and took the few steps to get to Arthur, before immediately taking the Englishman into his arms for a hug, getting in Gilbert's way. _“Are you ok?”_  
Being this close to Arthur, Alfred could smell the vanilla shampoo in his soft blonde hair, and feel the warmth radiate from his small, slender body. Alfred could just hold him forever…

At this question, Arthur shuddered, crumbling, which was only making Alfred want to hold him tighter, _“I… I don’t know how much longer I can do this alone…”_

“What happened?” Gilbert asked, taking Arthur’s hand to lead Arthur to the bench, where the rest of the group looked on with worried faces.

Arthur sat down next to Gilbert, who immediately put a protective arm around Arthur, and Ivan took the other space on Arthur's other side, blocking Alfred off. So he had to settle with returning to his original place, which put him directly in front of Arthur. 

“It’s the stalker, isn’t it? Is it still happening?” Antonio asked, and instantly, the group entire atmosphere changed. The air had become heavy and cold, as all eyes watched Arthur as he reacted with a shiver. 

“You haven’t brought it up in weeks,” Lovino pointed out, “Is everything ok?”

“Please, don’t be afraid, we can help you,” Matthew added.

“We are all worried,” Ivan muttered slowly, as though he was checking his English carefully as he spoke.

Arthur exhaled, holding himself tightly as he stared down at the wooden surface of the bench, he looked so tired and defeated. Instantly, Alfred was worried: had he done something wrong?

 _“He’s mad at me…”_ Arthur muttered, finally looking up to meet the groups concerned stares, 

“What did he do?” Gilbert asked, borderline growling.

“He says that he doesn’t like me talking to others about the letters he sends me,” Arthur explained, "He sent a very  _worded_ letter to me yesterday... It scared me so bad, I didn't leave my room at all yesterday."  

“So, this is your stalker? This is a legitimate stalker?” Matthew asked.

To which Arthur nodded, defeat staining his beautiful face, “But I’ve only ever spoken about them privately to Gilbert and Francis, but even then…” Arthur’s eyes narrowed as he looked to Gilbert, _“You two don’t know anything,_ no matter how much Francis nags me, I don’t show him the letters, only because I didn’t want to make him worry… But, this guy must have heard me at some point and thought I was running my mouth to the entire group about the letters. He believes you're all trying to keep us apart, and he doesn't like that at all...” As he spoke, Alfred noticed Arthur fidgeting with his fingers in his lap, and Alfred could tell that Arthur was barely holding himself together now, “I’ve tried for so damn long to keep this a secret, and if I can’t even speak to two people privately about this without him finding out… It makes me wonder, just how close is he to me?!” The Brit shuddered. “This is...”

 _“Arthur…”_ Alfred gasped, struck with guilt as he realised that he’s blown this far out of proportion. Arthur wasn’t speaking to people about the letters as much as he thought: But now he will be, because of Alfred’s letter.

 _“I’m not going to let him isolate me,”_ Arthur vowed, growling as he brought his hands to the table, and dug his nails into the wood, “I think I really need help now.”

“Of course!” Antonio gasped, “How many letters have you gotten?”

"Yesterday makes ten,” Arthur answered, sighing as the group gasped.

“Why have you not been speaking about this!?” Lovino asked,  _"This is insane!"_

“Because I thought I could handle it, and I didn’t want to believe that it was as much of a big deal. I thought I would feel better after the walking arrangements were made, but it's only getting _worse!_ " Arthur explained, “Since then: not only have his letters gotten sexually graphic, but now I feel threatened!”

 _“Threatened?!”_ Alfred asked. How has he made Arthur feel threatened!? Because if so, he didn’t intend it! Making Arthur fear him was the last thing he wanted!

"Mmm…” Arthur nodded, “In this letter, he wrote: _You’re breaking my heart, and I know you don’t want to do that…”_

“Oh, Jesus Christ… Arthur,” Matthew gasped, “Are his letters usually like this?”

“No, usually his letters are so cliché and mushy, it made me nauseous. While the sexual letters made me feel so violated... As I said, now that he’s speaking about having sex with me! And now he knows about the people I speak to-- he could be even listening right now for all I fucking know! I… _I don’t know what to do anymore!”_

“Urh…” Gilbert growled, “If I ever meet this sucker, I’ll kick his head in!”

Alfred’s eyes narrowed as he glared at Gilbert, silently daring the German to bring it on. But then Alfred quickly focussed back on Arthur, realising that this is all a huge misunderstanding! Alfred never meant to make Arthur upset like this! Now the entire group is going to be on high alert. _Fucking great!_

“How can he think this OK?!” Ivan spat, his eyes narrowing in disgust, “Arthur doesn’t deserve this!”

“Look, please, don’t worry…” Arthur began.

But Lovino wasn’t going to let Arthur finish, _“No!_ We have to worry, there is a stalker in the International Dormitories! What if he wants to hurt you?!”

“Were the sexual letters specific of any times, because what if he wants to act something out?! Stalkers are terrifying people!” Antonio pointed out.

“They don’t note any times, just… Just that he believes it’s going to happen. He only gets specific and graphic in _… the details… Urrrrhh_ —I feel violated even thinking about it!!” Arthur shivered, grabbing at his hair.

“Do you think he would do it without your consent…?” Gilbert whispered, and at that question, the entire group went silent, horrified of what the answer would be. Whereas Alfred wanted to have a fit: How dare Gilbert suggest that Alfred would—He shivers even thinking about it!! Alfred would NEVER, he loves Arthur too much to hurt him like that! He and Arthur will be in love by the time they have sex! And it will be completely consensual!!

“Arthur, you need to get some serious help, who have you spoken to about this?” Matthew asked, “This can’t be taken lightly, trust me.”

“I… I haven’t really spoken to anyone…” Arthur admitted, “I thought that it would either go away on its own if I ignored him, or I would be able to handle it myself. But every letter is worse than the last. You guys are really the only people who know about it…”

“Ok, so, we need to find someone for you to speak to,” Gilbert pointed out.

“I already have someone in mind…” Arthur muttered.

Alfred felt nothing but mortified and heartbroken… It was _his_ fault that Arthur was feeling so awful, all because he let his anger get the better of him! He figured that he shouldn’t get rid of his rivals through Arthur, because all that has done is hurt him.

From now on, Alfred’s letters will be full of nothing but love for Arthur. He will make Arthur feel so loved, he won't know what to do with it! He will feel good! 

Alfred then decided that Arthur’s next letter will be a full apology for getting angry with him, and will be accompanied by a huge bouquet of flowers. Maybe that will make Arthur feel better about him…

\-----

The second Alfred got home, he started penning his apology letter, explaining how he’s thought hard about the words he’s used, and how he’s now realised that they weren’t needed. _He’s sorry, he’s so, so sorry for making Arthur feel like he was in danger somehow: because he isn’t! All Alfred wants is to love and cherish him forever… Arthur shouldn’t be afraid of that!_  
Alfred couldn’t at all see how he could be wrong.

As soon as his letter was finished, Alfred relaxed on the couch in the living area, watching the news as Matthew finished some homework on the kitchen bench behind him. At first, the brothers were silent, going about their own business, like they always had.

But Matthew was the one to break the silence, which was an odd thing for him to do, “Dad told me it was Mary’s birthday recently, he wanted to know if she’s tried to contact you.”

At the sound of his birthmother’s name, Alfred became tense but still answered honestly, “She tried to call me four times. I ignored all of them.”

“Al…” Matthew sighed, “She’s still your mom, she’s not gonna just go away…”

“Are you saying that I should give in to her?” Alfred asked, turning back to stare at Matthew with narrow eyes; knowing that there was no way Matthew would agree with that.  
Mary was an abusive mother and Alfred shouldn’t have to contact her if he doesn’t want to.  
She was the reason why Alfred and Matthew were born six months apart and to different mothers, because Mary just couldn’t let their dad, Ben, go. It always had Alfred wondering why he exists, if he was only intended to be an emotional weapon…

Ben and Mary had only been together for a few months, but by that time, Mary had decided that she and Ben were going to be together forever. And so, when she felt like he was going to leave, she became more and more paranoid and controlling, which eventually pushed him enough to leave her and return to a former sweetheart of his.

However, what neither of them knew, was that Mary had become pregnant. Knowing that she was carrying Ben’s child, Mary waited and watched Ben from a distance as her belly grew. Her plan was for her to come to Bens new address, where he lived with his girlfriend, thinking that if he opened the door and saw Mary holding his baby, he would return to her without an issue, and they could be a family.

And so, within a week of her giving birth to Alfred, Mary knocked on Ben’s door. But what she didn’t expect to see was a three-month pregnant woman to answer the door. Heartbroken, Mary sobbed as Ben angrily demanded a paternity test, and IF Alfred came back as his; he was happy to arrange for shared custody and child support, but he wasn’t going to leave his current girlfriend, Catherine, Matthew’s mother.  
But that wasn’t what Mary wanted, this was so far from what she wanted; she refused to make it work in Ben’s favour. She refused to let him win, they were either going to be a family, or she was going to make life hell for him until he ‘came to his senses and joined his real family.’

As soon as Alfred’s paternity test revealed that Ben was his father, Ben tried to arrange for shared custody, but Mary was not cooperating. She was angry, and she was not going to let Ben have his way easily, even if it was for Alfred’s good.

However, quickly she ran out of options, and as the police became involved Mary became more and more desperate to end it. So much so, Alfred’s safety became at risk. After all: Alfred was conceived to be Mary’s emotional weapon.

‘Alfred won’t stop crying, he needs his daddy!’ – she would send him, and this was the tamest of the bunch. Alfred was only allowed to see the messages Mary sent to Ben after he turned sixteen.  
There was one of Alfred’s crib being left outside in the snow, with the message: ‘If you don’t call me, he’s staying outside.’  
She used Alfred the way she intended: the emotional leverage to get Ben to do what she wanted.  
‘Call me or he won’t get fed.’  
‘I swear to God Ben, if you don’t answer me I’m throwing him at the fucking wall!!’  
‘Alfred will swim in the fucking lake if you don’t call me!’  
‘He’s your baby too Ben!! He needs his Daddy!! CALL ME OR ELSE!’  
‘I’M GONNA FUCKING SNAP BEN— THIS FUCKING BABY WON’T STOP FUCKING CRYING!! DON’T YOU DARE IGNORE ME, OR I’LL MAKE YOU REGRET IT!! I NEED YOU!!’  
‘IF THIS LITTLE SHIT DOESN’T BRING YOU BACK TO ME, I WON’T HESITATE TO GET RID OF HIM!! DON’T TRY ME BEN!’

However, little did Mary realise; Ben and Catherine were giving everything to the police, determined to have Alfred taken away from Mary, and gain themselves full-custody of Alfred, as well as gain legal protection from Mary.

Eventually, when Alfred was nearly three years old, and Matthew was a few months younger, the trio saw their day in court, where Mary’s behaviour and the true horror of how she treated Alfred were exposed for the court to hear, and the abuse was far worse than Ben and Catherine imagined  
It was also revealed in court that Mary orchestrated Alfred’s conception purely to use him as an ‘emotional beartrap’, believing that having a baby with Ben would keep them together, despite them only being together for a few months. To do this, she lied about taking birth-control and even tampered with the protection they used.

Ben even admitted that he never considered his relationship with Mary to be a serious one, stating that he didn’t leave the relationship sooner because he was scared of how she’d react. He never believed that this relationship would have such serious consequences.

Like any sane court would, full-custody was given to Ben and Catherine and Mary was legally ordered to a treatment facility in order to teach her to manage her manic and obsessive behaviour.  
Since he was three years old, Alfred lived with Ben and Catherine, who finally married when Alfred and Matthew were five. Catherine was a literal angel of a woman, and Alfred couldn’t be happier to rely on her as a mother figure—Alfred remembers seeing the smile on his father’s face when he said, ‘When I asked her if she was ok with raising two young kids with me, she smiled and said: ooh, we’ll pretend their twins, but Alfred is a bit bigger,’ imitating Catherine’s strong Canadian accent as he spoke. By the end of it all, Alfred had his first real family.

Naturally, worry returned to the family at the news of Mary’s release when Alfred was eight. And while the woman who haunted Alfred’s nightmares says she wanted a second chance with the son she abused, Alfred wasn’t as enthusiastic. But, when he was eight, he gave her the benefit of the doubt, and agreed to meet her with Ben in a controlled situation.

However, Mary wasn’t as good as she claimed to be, and she lost it when she saw that Ben had a wedding ring on. On top of that, she became angry enough to blame everything on Alfred and started to yell at him for it, despite how much Ben and the mediator tried to calm the situation. Alfred remembers it vividly, when he started crying as Mary screamed at him for being born; he ran out from beside where Ben was protecting him and hit Mary in the face while calling her the worst things an eight-year-old child could come up with, which ended the meeting completely. Luckily for Alfred, the officers saw the entire incident and agreed that the family needed more protection from Mary.

And while the situation was better when Alfred saw Mary again at seventeen, that memory has never escaped Alfred’s mind, nor has the previous abuse. However, in this meeting, Alfred was armed with the knowledge of the court case and all the pain that Mary had caused and Alfred was not afraid to tell her what he really thought. He insulted her entire being, and cursed her for giving birth to him. No matter how much she apologised or tried to explain, Alfred refused to give her any sympathy or even patience. He’d scoff and cross his arms whenever she opened her mouth: throwing common curtesy and basic respect out the window, he wouldn’t even look at her when she cried: all it was to Alfred was a pathetic grab at sympathy, and Alfred wasn’t going to allow himself to fall for it. She had her chance to make it up to him when he was eight, and she failed that test miserably.

And he still feels that way, even at twenty-two years of age.

Even when she is brought up in conversation, Alfred feel himself become cold and cruel, unwilling to give that woman any of his emotional effort, to him: she wasn’t trustworthy or even worthy of any forgiveness. And Alfred knew that no one would dare to tell him otherwise, not even Matthew.

So, when Matthew saw the angry look in Alfred’s eyes, he dropped the conversation immediately, returning to his homework as he muttered, _“Just let Dad know…”_

“Yeah, and I’ll ask how she got my fucking number,” Alfred grumbled, “If he didn’t give it to her, we may need to have a chat with her corrections officer again.”

Alfred could hear Matthew sigh from where he sat at the kitchen bench, and the conversation was over as far as Alfred was concerned, but he knew that Matthew would forgive him for his behaviour: he always did.

\-----

Alfred purposely came to campus early to make sure he delivered his latest letter, as well as a huge bouquet of flowers.

As he stood in front of the door to Arthur’s bedroom and quickly unpacked the letter and huge bouquet from his backpack, where he set them up nearly by Arthur’s door. Silently, he prayed that the passionate apology in his letter would change Arthur’s opinion about him…

The last thing he wants is for him and Arthur to have a fight before their relationship could even begin… He loves him so much, the last thing he wants is for Arthur to be mad at him for a misunderstanding! Alfred wants to tell Arthur that he isn’t some creep that wanted to keep Arthur tied up in his basement! He wants to love him to the best of his ability, even if Arthur failed to understand that!! He’ll show him how good it is to be loved by Alfred… _Whether he’s ready or not…_

Sadly, Alfred had to leave before Arthur could get up for his Tuesday morning class, and Alfred had to leave for his as well, considering how close their schedules are.

However, luckily for Alfred, his class finished an hour before Arthurs. And since he knew where Arthur’s classroom was, he could wait patiently outside, in order to make the perfect situation for him and Arthur to have some time alone. This time, Alfred had the entire conversation planned in his head, he was going to ask Arthur how his class was and if he has any other classes to get to (and he knew that Arthur didn’t for another hour), _AND SO,_ Alfred was then going to ask him if he wanted to get something to eat together!

It was going to be perfect! And he and Arthur were going to have even more time together before Alfred gets to walk him home later that day! Alfred was so excited, he couldn’t help but blush like a teenage girl when he thought about it! He became so dizzy and giddy, he almost couldn’t hold himself back from dashing into Arthur’s classroom and doing it right there! It was going to be just like in the movies!

As he sat on the couch near where the door to Arthur’s classroom was, and watched the door as students started to leave, but Alfred’s eyes were watching only for Arthur. Even a man who looked like the teacher left before Arthur did.

But then, Arthur finally stepped out of the classroom, and Alfred rose out of his chair, frowning when he realised that Arthur was heading towards the teacher, even calling out, _“Sir!”_

As Alfred hid and watched from behind a soda vending machine, the teacher turned around and smiled at Arthur. This man was a younger teacher, probably in his mid-to-late-twenties, with narrow green eyes that stared down at Arthur as he smiled softly. His tanned skin reflected his health and attractiveness well, on top of the nice tight black pants and tanned jacket he wore underneath a white business shirt.

“Ah, Arthur, how can I help you?” The teacher asked, revealing a soothing Portuguese accent, which naturally had Alfred frowning, more than the teachers smile did, “And please, call me Afonso outside of class.”  
Hang on, how are they on first name terms!? No teacher Alfred knew did that with ANY student, no less and international one!

“I…” Arthur began, before sighing. Instantly, Afonso caught on to Arthur's demeanour and  frowned with enough interest to rile up the jealous monster within Alfred. But, the American calmed himself down, he can’t just assume these things, that's what made Arthur upset in the first place… Surely this wasn’t something for Alfred to be concerned about. Arthur wouldn’t be into older men, right...? 

“Is this about the assignment?” Afonso asked, but then his face changed the more he stared at Arthur.

“No… It’s personal…” Arthur muttered, bringing his fingers to his lips, struggling to find a place to begin, even Alfred found his struggle to speak adorable, despite the context of the situation. “You said that you usually represent the interests of international students, right?”

“Yes,” Afonso replied, leaning into Arthur, “Is something wrong?”

“Yes…” Arthur answered as he brought his hands to his sides, finally ready to speak properly, his face had gone red in a deep blush that sent Alfred’s heart racing. “Someone has been leaving me letters and gifts in front of my bedroom door for the past month and a half. I don’t know who they are, or what they want with me, but… It’s become too much for me to handle alone… _I need help._ "  
Afonso frowned, stepping into Arthur and placing his hand on his shoulder, instantly, the hairs on Alfred’s body stood on end. He was watching yet another handsome fucking European come on to his sweetheart, and Alfred focussed on the two like a hawk.

_“What kind of letters?”_

Arthur shoved his hand into his backpack, before taking out a familiar piece of folded paper, “Here, this is the one that’s pushed me over the edge. All of the other letters are him talking about how much he loves me, or how he’s watching me constantly, wants—wants a f-future with me, and—and…” Arthur crumbled as Afonso frowned, reading Alfred’s letter as the American seethed in anger.

He should have seen this coming, he shouldn’t have underestimated how much his letter upset Arthur, and it seems like the apology letter and flowers did nothing! Alfred was on the verge of a panic attack, he could feel his entire body heat up as his leg trembled, he was even worried that his breathing was becoming loud enough for them to hear. Alfred’s heart raced at a million miles an hour, silently, he begged for Arthur to stop this, to forgive him already and accept him without restraint. All he wants is Arthur, he wants him more than he’s wanted anyone before, and now he’s going to risk losing him.

“How many letters are there?” Afonso asked.

“I got the eleventh this morning. It was an apology to this one, he was begging for me to forgive him and that I ‘didn’t understand what he means’ and that he’s so desperate! He! He!” Arthur explained, becoming more and more flustered and anxious as he spoke.

“Hey, shhh, don’t worry,” Afonso explained, placing both hands on Arthur’s shoulder to make him look at into his eyes. “Everything is going to be ok, I promise. What do you know about the sender?”

“I think he’s another international student…” Arthur explained, trembling as he stepped into Afonso, “This started right when semester started, and it’s the only way he could know where my room is.”

“What are the other letters like?” Afonso asked.

 _Oh, Arthur-- baby, please don’t do this to us, I said I was sorry, I only want to love you with all my heart—_ Alfred thought, feeling as though he was about to cry as he watched Arthur ponder over the question.

 _“They range_ … some come across as sweet and passionate love-letters, but… they’re still unsettling in varying degrees. It all started with him writing about how beautiful he thinks I am, then he started talking about his love for me, and then what future we apparently are destined to have together… And then the letters started getting sexual, there’s one letter that’s _so_ graphic… I… I don’t know what to do.”

“Alright…” Afonso muttered, rubbing his chin in thought as Alfred gripped his hair hard enough to nearly rip it out, “Do you have any other classes today?”

“In an hour, and that one finishes at one. And then I have another at five which finishes at six,” Arthur explained.

“Ok, why don’t you and I get something to eat and you can tell me anything about this? Tell me everything that you're comfortable to talk about. Then I’ll take you to the sheriff’s office and we’ll see what we can do about this,” Afonso explained. “And I’ll speak to campus security and we’ll see if there’s anything else we can do to help. This behaviour is inexcusable and we won’t let him get away with it.”

Despite the concern in Afonso’s voice, all Alfred could see was red. Alfred was furious and even tempted to rip the two apart where they stood. Alfred couldn’t be angry at Arthur, he couldn’t bring himself to blame his sweetheart for this, he’s only doing what he thinks is right…   
But… the green-eyed monster within Alfred told him otherwise. Alfred felt the same anxiety and anger he felt when he watched Antonio try to make a move with Arthur. But this time, Alfred couldn’t do anything to stop it.

This had to be a punishment for him, it must be Arthur's way of saying 'don't play with me' to Alfred, and  _boy,_ it was working. Alfred was on high alert as he watched them. 

From where he stood, Alfred could see Afonso’s eyes as he stared down at Arthur, and Alfred couldn’t help but be sceptical, _as if_ he would help Arthur out of the goodness of his own heart! And now this teacher is going to be out to destroy his and Arthur’s relationship too! Alfred could see the conspiracy unravelling in front of him, everyone is working together to get in his way to Arthur!

Alfred could feel himself starting to shake as he watched Afonso guide Arthur towards the large staircase, intending to go to the café that Alfred wanted to take Arthur, if he didn't get fucking involved! Alfred could feel himself growing colder on the outside, while his entire body heated up from within – he wanted to start screaming when he saw Arthur smile at the man with wide eyes, Arthur was just trembling, what the fuck was making him laugh?! Arthur was looking at him the way Alfred wished he looked at him, and it was driving Alfred crazy with jealousy! Alfred stalked them like a hunter, and watched from a seat nearby as Arthur and Afonso drank coffee and tea together.  
Alfred was too far away to hear them, but he could see Arthur smile, even laugh… And it was only breaking Alfred's heart more and more... 

But still, Alfred knew that he was not going to give up,  _he was never going to give up on his darling Arthur._

\-----

Despite the pain he experienced before, as Alfred watched Arthur look up at him and smile, and his heart felt nothing but warmth. All of the pain from before evaporated as Arthur even lightly jogged over to meet with him, his hot breath evaporating into steam in the cold bitter air.

“I’m so sorry for keeping you waiting!” Arthur apologised.

“No problem!” Alfred chirped, knowing that he would have waited for hours if it meant getting to walk alone with Arthur for even ten minutes.

“It’s starting to get colder, innit?” Arthur asked, chuckling as he shivered from the cold.

“Do you want my jacket?” Alfred asked, referring to the brown leather bomber-jacket he was wearing, he had even started to take it off before Arthur protested.

“Please! I’ll live! Don’t!” Arthur protested, standing on his toes to grip at Alfred’s shoulders, making sure the warm coat stayed on Alfred.

“Fine, but you know I would if you ever asked,” Alfred explained, smiling down at Arthur and watched as the Englishman’s cheeks turned bright pink. “What’d you do today?”

 _“Well…”_ Arthur muttered, shoving his gloved hands into the pockets of his black hoodie, which he without a doubt regretted wearing today, just from looking at it, Alfred could tell that it wasn't offering him enough protection from the cold. “A teacher of mine took me to the sheriff’s office.”

“What, why?” Alfred asked, pretending to be as surprised as he should be.  
At least now he’s going to learn about what happened.

 _“Yeah…”_ Arthur began, a huge cloud leaving his mouth as he sighed deeply as the two began to walk down the pathway that led to the international dormitories. Passing a field of dozens of trees, which littered masses of orange and red leaves slowly onto the ground and footpath. “I told him about the letters and he took me to the Sheriff’s office in town to see what we could do. So… I met with Rockford’s sheriff and explained the situation.”

“How’d it go?” Alfred asked, his eyebrow raising in interest, despite the crying inside his heart. He wanted nothing more than to tell Arthur all that he felt, but he knew that it wouldn’t go well right now. Arthur isn’t ready. He doesn’t understand. Alfred knows to wait and observe, then his letters will get better and Arthur will learn to love him! And they’ll live happily ever after! Just thinking about it makes Alfred feel light-headed and giddy!

“Fine. But sadly, there isn’t much that can be done for my situation…” Arthur sighed, “The Sheriff explained that in Illinois, stalking is a class four felony, and aggravated stalking is a class three felony. Stalking is defined as ‘someone knowingly engaging in conduct directed at a specific person, knowing it will cause a reasonable person to fear for their safety, or causing them to suffer emotional distress’.”

“Yeah?” Alfred asked, urging Arthur to continue.

“You’d think that my guy is guilty, right?” Arthur continued, “However, the fact that he’s anonymous complicates things… There’s not even solid proof that this isn’t some twisted and elaborate prank! It’s infuriating!”

“So, what are you going to do?” Alfred asked.

“The only thing I can do, keep my head up and keep everything I get from him,” Arthur explained, “But that’s what I’ve already been doing, I’ve been keeping it to myself as much as I can, and I’ve kept every letter and every gift…”

Alfred’s eyes widened at this admission, “Really?”

Arthur nodded and Alfred’s heart raced, and he was sure that the heat he felt inside was reflecting on his cheeks. Just looking into Arthur’s eyes sent the blood pumping through Alfred’s body, as well as the buzz that came with being so in love.

“Mhm,” Arthur pointed out, “I’m happy that at least the Sheriff knows about my situation, even though he isn’t taking it as seriously as I hoped… But what can I do? I don’t know who it is…”

“Are you scared of him?” Alfred asked.

“…” Arthur muttered, frowning as he stared deeply into Alfred’s eyes which were wide in anticipation, “Don’t tell the others I said this, but … _yes…”_

The look in Arthur’s eyes as he said this broke Alfred’s heart into two… Alfred had to fight the primal urge to grab and kiss Arthur and scream about how it isn’t true!! Alfred only wants to love him!! He shouldn’t be scared!!! Alfred doesn’t want him to be afraid!!  
Alfred shoved his hands into his deep pockets, so Arthur couldn’t see them tremble with panic. This was all a huge mistake, Alfred really didn’t think that _ONE_ letter would scare Arthur so badly! Every other letter is full of nothing but love for him!! 

To calm himself down as he and Arthur continued to talk, Alfred timed his breathing and kept looking at Arthur, craving the happy feelings that the Englishman gave him, and clinging to them as hard as he could.

“It’ll be ok in the end, I promise,” Alfred promised, smiling down at Arthur, “I won’t let anyone hurt you.”

“I appreciate that,” Arthur replied, sighing as he and Alfred reached the stairs of the international dormitories, bringing their walk to an end.

Knowing that this time was about to end, Alfred had to find the pain on his face as Arthur thanked him for walking with him, smiling as he said that he will see him tomorrow.  
Alfred watched Arthur walk up the stairs to the dormitories with hungry eyes, he just couldn’t help but leer at the slender Englishman, imagining what scandalous things he wanted to do with him… Alfred could just stare at him walking forever, and even the way Arthurs legs, thighs and bottom looked from behind had Alfred salivating…  
More and more thoughts of Arthur plagued Alfred as he walked to the other side of the campus, and the memories of Alfred’s vivid sexual dreams ran supreme. Just the thought that someday Alfred will be in a position to be with Arthur like that made Alfred’s hairs stand on end with excitement and he just couldn’t wipe the smile from his face.

But right there was a huge obstacle in the way...

Alfred didn’t blame Arthur for being scared, if Alfred received lovely letters from an admirer and then they suddenly became angry, Alfred would feel the same confusion and anxiety. But going to the police was a bit much in Alfred’s opinion, and it was all because of that damned teacher, on top of all of their ‘friends.’

Alfred wanted to change Arthur’s current perception of him and his letters, he wants Arthur to remember how passionate and sweet his other letters are, maybe then Arthur will forgive him and they can finally move forward in their relationship. There are just so many people that are preventing this from happening… Alfred had enough rivals to make a list, and he could already count one as crossed off, now he just needs to figure out what he could do about the others...

Although… The more Alfred thought about it, the more he realised that Arthur being afraid of author of his letters was a unique situation … And maybe he could find a way to use this to his advantage…

He just needs to figure out who to target next.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many stalkers do not perceive themselves as harming their objects of affection. These stalkers are obsessive and feel that they are simply being “romantic” by constantly imposing themselves into their victims’ lives. Some even claim that they are protecting their victims.

Francis, Ivan and Gilbert, those three were high on Alfred’s list of enemies, and even Afonso was getting too close for Alfred’s liking. If he pisses of Alfred a few more times, Alfred will have to consider him as a threat.

It was 4:43am and Alfred was still wide awake, lying in bed while scrolling through the extensive collection of photos on his phone.

Only pictures of Arthur could calm Alfred’s raging anxiety and seething jealousy. Watching him smile and laugh, even in pictures made Alfred feel as though everything was going to be ok, none of Alfred’s competition mattered… There were photos of Arthur smiling, laughing, talking and even just staring at his phone. Most of the photos were taken when the group sat and ate at the Plaza each day, and Alfred would take advantage of the moments where attention wasn't on him. A few weeks ago, he wouldn't have dared to even lift his phone up too much, but now he was snapping dozens of photos of Arthur in bursts of a couple of seconds. And Alfred couldn't bare the thought of deleting any of them! Arthur just looked so perfect in every single one, and they all made Alfred feel so happy! The photos reminded Alfred that someday he will have Arthur all to himself, and he will finally be happy.

He just had to think about how to deal with all of these ‘distractions’… These people who wanted to get in Alfred’s way to getting his sweetheart. And now because of them, Arthur is afraid of him! But surely, as soon as Arthur learns of Alfred’s genuine love for him, he would have to forgive him and accept him—otherwise Alfred will never stop. _Never._ Alfred will make sure that Arthur loves him in the end, no matter how long it takes or who he has to hurt to make it happen.

These men in his way were merely obstacles. But Alfred reassured himself that everything will be ok, as soon as Arthur sees what he can give him, he wouldn’t want anyone else! Alfred just need to put these bastards back in their place…

_How to get rid of them, though…?_

Alfred’s eyes narrowed as he focused on the dark ceiling and the still ceiling fan, which was slightly lit from the moonlight that crept in through the gaps in the curtains. He stared at the centre of the ceiling fan like it was the face of his worst rival, Alfred scowled and frowned, staring like he was looking at something that  _disgusted_ him. These men were driving him crazy with jealousy, and he could feel it growing worse every day. He feared that someday, things will get ugly...

Francis was constantly around Arthur and was too protective for Alfred’s liking – Friend for years or not, no one will get in the way or else they will pay. He was far too invasive for Alfred's liking, constantly bugging Arthur about the letters and how it's affecting him, he's nosy and should stay out of Alfred and Arthur's business. And Arthur was far too attached to him as well, the way he would continuously choose Francis over Alfred made his skin crawl! There were many things about Francis that Alfred wanted to fix, especially if it means securing Alfred and Arthur's happy ending.   

Ivan was getting too close for comfort and Alfred hated the way that Arthur and Ivan looked at each other, and how many close calls they've had. It also drove Alfred crazy to see Arthur rely on Ivan more and more in terms of protection, and the fact that Ivan walks around like he's Arthur's fucking bodyguard. It should be ALFRED that Arthur relies on, _NOT HIM._

Gilbert was so cocky in regards to Arthur’s ‘protection,’ he's just another wannabe bodyguard who clearly can't see that he's being way too dramatic! And the way that he so causally feels like he can hug Arthur or put his arm around him really pissed Alfred off. 

Currently Alfred wasn't sure how to handle Afonso, he wasn't exactly an enemy yet, but he was well on the way to becoming one. The way Afonso took away Alfred’s alone time with Arthur was the first strike. He didn't like the way he looked at Arthur, he's a fucking teacher, what the hell was he doing; clearly hitting on a student! It made Alfred question the motivation behind Afonso’s actions... He will have to watch his interactions with Arthur more. 

Once again, thoughts of using Arthur’s fear of his ‘stalker’ to Alfred’s advantage circulated through his mind… It was a situation that Alfred didn't want to be in, because he disassociated himself from this ‘stalker’ persona that everyone claimed him to be. Alfred only saw himself as a romantic pursuer and Arthur's protector. It wasn't his fault that Arthur misinterpreted that one letter, but… It could be something that Alfred may use. Arthur’s fear could be a powerful tool…

But with that thought, Alfred rolled over but kept his phone unlocked and on a picture of Arthur, smiling so sweetly and vaguely looking in Alfred’s direction as he sat on the same bench in the plaza that the group had been gathering at, he was probably responding to something that the person next to Alfred had said, but he completely unaware that Alfred was taking photos of him. Alfred could see Arthur's face so perfectly in the photo, and as Alfred tapped on the screen to zoom in on Arthur's face, it only got  _better._

 _"Mmmm... You look so cute, sweetie..."_ Alfred hummed as he lightly licked his lips while staring into Arthur's eyes. And then, Alfred bit his bottom lip as his heart raced and while groaning; he reached down and tugged at his pants, feeling the heat build-up inside of him. Heat of which he wanted to release, and that only Arthur's image could help him with…  
  
It was the happy ending that Alfred had with Arthur in his imagination that made the long and sleepless nights worth it…

\------

Despite feeling exhausted from the lack of sleep, Alfred dragged himself to campus; functioning only on coffee and determination, Alfred was not going to miss his chance to see Arthur.  
And he’s glad he didn’t, Arthur looked so radiant that morning, and his smile instantly made Alfred forget about his internal suffering. Arthur was dressed in a light blue denim jacket with a white shirt and black jeans, and Alfred couldn’t take his eyes off of him. He looked so _good,_ Alfred wanted to kiss him right there… He  _needs_ a photo of Arthur in this outfit, or he won't be able to stop thinking about it...   
But he had to restrain himself and sit down next to Gilbert, upset that Ivan was already sitting next to Arthur, and Arthur was sitting on the edge of the bench, so Alfred would need to sit on the floor if he wanted to be near him. And while Alfred would have done so without complaint, it's not exactly  _normal._

 _“OH DER’MO!”_ Ivan spat, catching everyone’s attention as the Russian rummaged through his bag desperately. Before suddenly, Ivan sighed with relief as he pulled out his Russian to English dictionary, that was when he finally noticed multiple eyes on him. “Oh sorry, I thought I lost it.”  
Of course, Ivan would panic if he thought he lost that little book…

“Oh, Alfred; you don’t have to worry about walking me back to the dorms on Wednesdays and Thursdays anymore,” Arthur explained, smiling so innocently, while Alfred felt as though he had been hit by a truck.

“What? Why?” Alfred asked, trying so hard to not physically appear as shocked and hurt as he did on the inside. That’s 2/3 of Alfred’s precious alone time with Arthur gone!! _Who the fuck is responsible for this bullshit?!?!_

Thankfully, Arthur’s tone did not change, “Ivan told me that the soccer team are looking for more players, so I figured that I may as well give it a go.” So… This was _Ivan’s_ fault… Alfred wanted to fucking scream, but he held it with his breath in as Arthur continued, “I’ve always loved football, and maybe even getting some exercise will help my anxiety, you know? It'll distract me a little bit and help me keep fit.”

_Dammit! Dammit, Dammit, DAMMIT!! SHIT!! FUCKING DAMMIT!! PIECE OF SHIT!! FUCKING HELL!! NO!! NO!!!!_

Even worse, Ivan looked at Arthur and smiled while shuffling over to sit slightly closer to him, a sight that made Alfred’s skin crawl,  _why the fuck does he need to be so close to him?!_ “And you still want to tutor with me after the practice? I fixed my assignment little bit since you saw it before.”

“Yes, of course!” Arthur replied, before patting Ivan on the shoulder, which made Alfred want to cry, “Then how about we have dinner afterwards?”

The way Ivan smiled at him after made Alfred want to be sick. How dare he, how _FUCKING dare he take away Alfred’s time with Arthur like this!_ The goddamn bastard will PAY! _HE WILL FUCKING PAY IF IT’S THE LAST THING ALFRED DOES!_

Francis, Gilbert and Afonso were no longer of the most concern to Alfred, Ivan had now become enemy number one, and Alfred wanted nothing more than to get rid of him, and make him never want to look at Arthur again… Alfred wanted to punish him for taking away his time with Arthur. And it couldn't have come at a better time too, Alfred could see something hiding behind Ivan's violet eyes as he stared at Arthur, he's going to take him away if Alfred doesn't do something about him!

“You ok, Alfred?” Gilbert asked, catching on to the narrow and harsh stare in Alfred’s eyes.

“I’m fine, I just got literally two hours sleep last night… I feel fucking dead inside…” Alfred chuckled, smiling at Gilbert as he completely changed his outward appearance to suit his needs. While he looked perfectly normal on the outside, inside: Alfred was absolutely livid. 

“Oh wow,” Gilbert replied, “But I guess I know how you feel, I live on red bull and stubbornness!”  
Alfred pretended to laugh, and hoped that Gilbert would move on and speak to Matthew, like he always did. As Alfred expected, Matthew stole Gilbert’s attention and everything was fine.

But Alfred was still seething, and his bitterness did not leave him for the entire day. He was reeling from the pain of his precious time with Arthur being stolen from him by that fucking Russian.  
What made it worse, was that he was watching Ivan and Arthur get closer right in front of him… He felt his heart breaking as he watched Arthur laugh after things that Ivan said, or confide in him over assignment frustrations. Alfred was aching on the inside… Why wasn’t Arthur this close with Alfred? Alfred is supposed to be the one that Arthur relies on… _Not him…_

Alfred felt like he was going to start crying… His knees shook as his eyes fixed onto Arthur, who was simply looking down at his phone, unaware of the mistake he just made. All Alfred could do was stare, stare hopelessly at the object of his undying and unrelenting love, begging him to make this torture end. Praying for Arthur to come into his arms and let them consummate their love and be his forever...  
Why would he do that? What did Ivan do to make Arthur pick him over Alfred?! What made him so fucking special!?

At least Alfred knows now to not try to get rid of rivals through Arthur… He has to get rid of the threat to his happy ending with Arthur right at the source…

Suddenly, Alfred was pulled by his thoughts when Francis joined the group at the table and approached Arthur, “Oh, Arthur, can you give me a braid today?” Francis asked, running his fingers through his hair as he pulled out his ponytail and passed the hair-band to Arthur.

“Yeah, of course,” Arthur replied as Francis sat on the ground as Arthur shuffled to the edge of the bench seat so he sat right behind Francis. And then, he started to brush his fingers through Francis’ hair.  
_Great_ , like Alfred wasn’t feeling jealous enough today, this happens. And then, as though to spite him, Ivan shuffled to sit directly behind Arthur, and perched his chin on Arthur’s shoulder, so he could look over and see what Arthur was doing with his fingers, smiling like a fucking child.

“How did you learn the braid?” Ivan asked, frowning as he watched the Englishman’s fingers twist Francis’ hair into a French-braid, “Your fingers are so fast…”

“Hah, lot's of practice, and it’s also therapeutic for me,” Arthur explained, “Besides, when I was little, I was the official ‘gay-kid’ in my class, so when lunchtime came around all of the girls would line up all over the playground to have me braid their hair.”

“I am now one of those little girls now!” Francis chuckled as Arthur’s delicate fingers continued to form the braid from Francis’ hair.  _"I feel so pretty!"_

While he looked fine on the outside, on the inside: Alfred was seething, unable to take his eyes away from Ivan. _Why the fuck hasn’t he moved away yet?_ He’s stopped talking to Arthur, but yet he’s still resting his head on Arthur’s shoulder; he can’t be that fucking fascinated by Arthur’s impressive braiding ability! The goddamn bastard is milking the opportunity for physical contact: _ISN’T HE?!_ For once, Francis wasn’t the one getting on Alfred’s nerves because he was too fixed onto hating every ounce of Ivan’s being to even consider the Frenchman’s presence.

Alfred's thoughts became darker and more dangerous as the day continued, and ideas of how he could get revenge for the injustice were pondered. The ugly, jealous monster was returning within Alfred, and he didn’t have the care to stop the evil and painful thoughts that ran through his mind. 

Just to make it worse, Arthur and Ivan stuck together, and Alfred could see something in the way that Ivan looked at Arthur, and what things lied behind the Russians smile, and they were things that he did not like. The longer he watched the clearer he could see Ivan stealing his beloved Arthur from him, and he had the balls to do it right in front of Alfred’s face.  
It was breaking Alfred’s heart, and he was going to make Ivan pay for it.

\-----

Alfred was meant to be walking Arthur to the dormitories… But instead he was sitting on the bleachers of the football field, watching the small soccer team carry out the soccer nets to the field.

Alfred was still absolutely pissed, if looks could kill – Ivan would be dead a thousand times over.

Alfred didn’t blame Arthur for taking the opportunity to play soccer, Alfred knew that he has always loved the sport. Even Arthur’s Instagram told Alfred that he has always followed the English soccer team and he even played for the soccer team in his high school, and judging by the photo of Arthur with a medal that he posted four years ago: he was good at it. He was mad at Ivan for stealing his time away, and his blatant and unapologetic attraction to him! Sure, Arthur was gorgeous, and Alfred wasn't surprised that he had competition for Arthur's affection-- Alfred just needs to make sure that he's the one he wins. 

Finally, Alfred saw Arthur and Ivan appear, both dressed in sports gear. This was the first time that Alfred had seen Arthur in shorts: and he couldn’t deny that he really, _really_ liked it.

Arthur’s legs were as skinny as his jeans made them out to be, and as pale as snow, especially around his thighs where they contrasted against the loose and black fabric of his shorts. He was so pale on his legs, that even from the distance created by the bleachers Alfred could see little bruises under his right kneecap, it was so cute it made Alfred want to scream. Alfred only salivated more as he stared at Arthur’s thighs, only imagining how soft they must feel, he could just imagine his hand running across them, _maybe even his tongue too_ … Alfred wanted to touch him so badly, it was starting to hurt… But he resisted, sitting back as he watched Arthur prepare for soccer practice.

Alfred then got out his phone, intending to get a few pictures and take advantage of the sight of Arthur in shorts, but suddenly, he was surprised when two figures dashed past him as they ran down the bleachers, one carrying an Australian flag and the other carrying a rainbow flag. They seemed to be celebrating something, and it didn’t take much to figure out what.

“COME ON, AUSTRALIA!! MARRIAGE EQUALITY! _FINALLY!!!_ ” One proud Australian cried as he sprinted down the bleachers with the flag of his country flowing behind him, his friend cheering. _“AUSTRALIA VOTED YES!!!"_ Alfred smiled as the Australians quickly disappeared, probably intending to continue their mini pride-parade somewhere else on campus. Alfred just thought of it as another location where he and Arthur could get married. 

He quickly returned to the task at hand, positioning his phone camera in the right way to get Arthur into the frame. Alfred struggled to keep still as he used his fingers to zoom the camera onto Arthur, wanting to get a full body shot of him. And _God,_ did Alfred’s efforts pay off… But as Arthur started moving around more to play the game, getting a clear photo got harder and harder for Alfred.

 _"Oh fuck..."_ Alfred gasped when he watched Arthur bend over, and place his hands on the grass without bending his knees, stretching so flawlessly as Alfred clicked the camera button like a madman. Alfred only continued to salivate as he watched Arthur performing stretches with the rest of the team, before the practice finally started. 

While Alfred had no clue how soccer worked, he didn’t have to in order to fully appreciate the sight of Arthur running around the football field. His heart raced as he saw Arthurs feet dribble around the soccer ball, like magic. Alfred could see the sweat glistening on Arthur’s supple skin on the unusually sunny day, and Alfred could feel himself growing hot under the collar.

But then, _Ivan_ had to ruin it all…

He ran at Arthur in an attempt to steal the ball, and he quickly caught up – it turns out that the Russian ran faster than Alfred expected. But Arthur was stubborn, and he wasn’t going to let Ivan steal the ball from him. Even from that distance, Alfred could see the competitive light in their eyes as they looked at each other, and Alfred could see all kinds of tension brewing between them, and it was driving Alfred crazy. He believed that he could see much more than others did, especially when it came to protecting Arthur. He could only imagine what things were swimming in Ivan’s mind as Arthur pressed his back into him in an attempt to block him. He could see Ivan attempt to get closer to Arthur, to look at him, to leer behind him, using the premise of the game as a cover... 

Alfred had to get rid of Ivan, and make it _swift, painful and effective…_

It only got worse during the practice. Arthur and Ivan rarely left each other’s sides, and Alfred could see them talking, laughing and getting playful together. It was driving Alfred insane. How could Arthur not see what he was doing!? He's trying to take Arthur away! Now Ivan was no better than Antonio in Alfred's eyes; he was just more subtle about his intentions! Alfred sat at his place on the bench and his legs started to shake from the anxiety. But he still couldn’t take his eyes off them.

 _“NYET! NYET! ARTHUR, NYET! DON’T YOU DARE WET ME!”_ Ivan cried as Arthur chased him around with his open water bottle during the break, their laughter rang through Alfred's ears and pulsated against his heart; causing nothing but pain. It was making Alfred only hate the Russian more…. Why does he get to play with Arthur like that!? It should be Alfred down there having fun with Arthur, _not him!_ Alfred was absolutely writhing with jealousy as he watched them like a hunter aiming on prey… 

But Alfred’s pain did not end when he watched Arthur and Ivan leave the locker-rooms, before collecting their backpacks that they left at the bottom of the bleachers. Then they headed to the library together, where Alfred continued to stalk them, keeping his distance.

He found a comfortable place amongst the bookshelves, watching as Arthur and Ivan set up their notebooks and laptops on the table that sat between two large bookshelves.

This time, Alfred was close enough to hear them, “Alright, so which assignment is this one for?”

“So, it is analysing a building I like, looking at how products is used to make the stronger structure and asthmatic designing.”

 _“I think you mean aesthetic,”_ Arthur chuckled.

Ivan chuckled a little as he went slightly pink in the cheeks, before continuing as he made a few clicks on his laptop before showing Arthur, who started reading, “I picked the international dorms...” After about a minute of silence, Ivan added, “I know if it not sounds right, you know? I get marked down on shitty English.”

“I see…” Arthur murmured, “What I notice here is that you do make a few mistakes with your sentence structure, and you do mix up or misspell words, or are missing words. Good to know you’re not cheating through using google translate though...”

“Mm.” Ivan muttered, his expression faltering a little, like what he was about to say pained him, “It annoys me; in Russian: I smart, but in English: I idiot…”

“Oh, Ivan, you’re not an idiot, you’re far from an idiot… Trust me, I sound the same when I speak French. Francis constantly nit-picks on the mistakes I make,” Arthur explained, “He forgets that I only opted to keep learning the language in school because of him; I could have dropped it, but _nooon.”_

Ivan chuckled as he allowed Arthur to make changes to his assignment, during which Alfred wondered whether he could make a substantial cheating accusation against Ivan for this, but then again, international students always reach out for help, hell, it’s their way of making friends. It’s how Ivan is getting so close to Arthur right in front of Alfred’s eyes...

Alfred bets that Ivan is perfectly fluent in English, but is using it as a shitty excuse to get close to Arthur! The guy was practically breathing down Arthur’s neck as he read Ivan’s assignment! Alfred wanted to grab Ivan by that scarf and yank him away so badly!

What made Alfred's night even worse, was that he watched Arthur help Ivan with his assignment for one hour, until they decided to go and get  _dinner_ together. What is this, a fucking date, they've spent so fucking long together, now they wanna eat together too!? Fucking hell! 

But Alfred still followed them, he discreetly followed them from the campus and to the shopping district that was a five minute walk down the road, where they settled on getting some fast food for dinner. Alfred didn't order any food, but kept himself in a very discrete corner of the restaurant, and used the tray holder as cover while he'd look over and watch them eat together. Alfred couldn't help but feel as though he would be much better for Arthur in that situation. He should have been the one eating burgers and fries with Arthur! Not him! Ivan was trying to take Alfred's place before he could even get into it! It was so infuriating, it took all of Alfred's willpower to not march over there and  _destroy_ whatever relationship they had. But Alfred just kept reminding himself that he will think of a plan, and he will make sure that Arthur will only ever have time for  _him_ in the future.  _And everything will be fine._

For over a week, Alfred obsessively watched Arthur and Ivan during soccer practice and during their study sessions, and so, he learned Ivan’s patterns as well as his vulnerabilities. All while receiving a good dose of Arthur, even while watching Arthur alone with another man, Alfred got a small kick out of it. Watching him smile, laugh, talk, think… _God,_ the entire thing was addictive, now all Alfred needs is to be the man that Arthur is sharing those moments with.

And as Alfred pondered more over how to remove Ivan from Arthur's circle, the more he thought of using his current situation... Effectively killing two birds with one stone...  
Arthur was terrified of his ‘stalker’, and Alfred eventually found a way to change this and get his sweetheart back, and make Arthur love him…

\-----

Once again, Alfred found himself laying in his bed at an unruly hour, but this time he was in a completely different mood… He smirked darkly as he stared at the ceiling and his mind formulated a plan that used all of the elements of what he learned from the past few weeks about Ivan, as well as Arthur.

He had a plan and now all he has to do is wait for the right time to strike and hit the Russian where it hurt most…


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stalking victims often live in constant fear that at any moment their safety and lives may be threatened. Because they feel like their fears could become a terrifying reality, stalking victims commonly experience anxiety, severe depression, social isolation, and insomnia causing significant disruption to their daily lives.

While Alfred would have loved nothing more than to immediately put his plan for Ivan into motion, he knew that he had to be patient and wait for the perfect time to strike, even if it meant waiting another five days. But he managed to survive the weekend relatively well, despite it being uneventful, but he knew it wouldn't be like that for long, he could feel the big day getting closer and closer. It was like waiting for Christmas, and Alfred knew exactly what was waiting for him under the tree...

Monday finally came, and Alfred's struggle to remain patient only became worse. But still, Alfred managed to mask his intentions perfectly when he sat amongst the group, feeling like a wolf among sheep, and Arthur was the prized lamb… He was so normal, no one would suspect him of even hurting a fly, and that was just what he wanted. On this Monday afternoon the group had decided to hang out on the grass behind the international dormitories to take advantage of the sunlight, and Alfred was sitting right next to Arthur as the group sat around on the grass. But while Alfred was sitting next to Arthur on one side, Ivan was sitting on the other, and it was as enraging as an unreachable itch...

This area behind the international dorms remained untouched, it was just an empty oval of grass that stretched out for one section of the international dorms. But the area was outlined by the outskirts of forest, forest that all of the students were warned to not play around in, because it went on for miles and got very dense in some places, and it also became a maze during the snow season. 

Other members of the group were scattered around the grass, with many lying down on their backs to soak in the sunlight, which was extremely rare at this time of year, when the snow is expected to start falling in a matter of weeks. Even better, it was the perfect excuse for Alfred to wear sunglasses; so he could stare at Arthur as much as he wanted and no one could tell where he was looking and couldn't say anything! He felt so sneaky while he watched Arthur as closely as he wanted! He could stare at Arthur’s chest as the Englishman spoke and imagined what his chest looked like under his black t-shirt, and how soft it must be… it must be as soft and pale as his thighs…  _Alfred salivated just imagining it._

Alfred had to stop himself from physically leering for too long, fearing that his interest was becoming too obvious—He has never been seated this close to Arthur before, and the sensation was driving him wild. He knew that if they were alone, there was no way he’d be able to keep his hands off the Englishman. Arthur looked so huggable and kissable, Alfred was struggling from where he sat, he felt so physically and emotionally close to Arthur, he even noticed that if he moved his hand slightly it would touch Arthur’s… He wanted nothing more than to have Arthur to himself, and keep him forever…

He was so deep into his obsession with Arthur, he hadn’t been listening to the conversation at all, and only tuned back in when Arthur turned to look at him. This situation made Alfred glad that the glasses shielded his eyes, because otherwise Arthur would have seen Alfred’s eyes light up from receiving Arthur’s attention. Arthur was smiling at him, and Alfred felt his heart race… It was so powerful, Alfred had to resist the urge to push Arthur into the grass and kiss him there.

But Alfred had to focus on Arthur’s question, “would you like to go again sometime?”

“I’m sorry, I was totally zoned out, what are we talking about?” Alfred chuckled, looking around to address the rest of the group, pretending that he hadn't been just thinking about Arthur, “I got no sleep last night.”

“Geez, Alfred, third night in a row, are you ok?” Gilbert asked frowning as he tilted his head.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm good," Alfred chuckled, "I'm a slave to Netflix who doesn't learn!" Gilbert laughed as Alfred returned his attention to Arthur.

“We're thinking about going to Chicago again, it’s an amazing city, and as the weather starts to get colder, soon there will be snow,” Arthur explained.

“Therefore, ice rings,” Francis added, clasping his hands together, “Photos look so lovely! It's just an ice ring in the middle of the city!”  
The thought of Arthur on an ice-ring already excited Alfred, and instantly he imagined Arthur clinging onto Alfred in order to avoid falling on the ice… _God, that would be so cute,_ and a perfect opportunity for Alfred to touch him—Shit, he’s leering again.

“Yeah! That sounds cool!” Alfred exclaimed, flashing his most charming smile.

 _“Shit!”_ Francis hissed as he rose from his place on the grass and started to head back to the international dorms, “I left my wallet in my room, I’ll be back soon.”

 _“Urrrhhhh…”_ Arthur groaned as he stretched out his legs and bent down to reach for his feet, groaning in a way that made Alfred’s face go red. “Fuck…”

“Still sore, Arthur?” Ivan chuckled, reminding Alfred that he was still there, and he was still Alfred’s biggest threat.

 _“Haaaa,_ my thigh muscles are actually killing me right now,” Arthur admitted, “I could feel my thighs burn just from walking up the stairs! I’m going to need help standing up!”

"That’s why you stretch after exercise…” Ivan muttered.  
It took all of Alfred's self control to not snap when he watched Ivan place his hand on Arthur’s back, and feel his way up Arthur’s spine… Alfred felt like a cat that was being harassed; his hairs stood on end and he had to resist the urge to hiss at the Russian. Oh, he could not wait for this week to be over…  _He'll never touch Arthur again once Alfred is done with him..._

But then, as though to tease Alfred even more, Arthur stretched harder and grunted, muttering, “scratch me there, please.”

Ivan just had to smile in a way that made Alfred tense-up as he started to lightly scratch Arthurs back, and Alfred couldn’t take his eyes off it, it was driving him crazy. Because of Ivan, the littlest of things set Alfred off, but then again, Alfred would feel angry is anyone touched Arthur like that. Even Ivan’s breathing pissed Alfred off. _This bastard, this fucking bastard just can’t keep his hands off, can he?_ First, he literally tackles Arthur to the ground during soccer practice last week, and now he’s giving him a goddamn backrub?! Alfred took a deep breath, reminding himself to keep calm, he’s not going to let Ivan get away with this…  
Alfred just had to sit there and take it, no matter how badly it hurt him. He knew eventually there would be no one left to scratch Arthur’s back other than Alfred—he will make damn sure of that.

Right as his thoughts started to get darker, Arthur looked at him from his position and smiled sweetly, which reassured Alfred that everything was going to be ok… He can still make Arthur love him, he just needs to be patient and play his cards right. He only saw the interference of others as a challenge for him to overcome to prove his love to Arthur. Ivan was only the second challenge.

“Oh yeah, Gilbert; I got rid of my tinder,” Arthur admitted.  
  
_WHAT!?_ Since when did Arthur have a tinder!? Alfred had to physically hold himself back from exploding-  _How did he not know that Arthur had a Tinder?! WHAT THE FUCK?!_ Before Alfred could get too angry, he reminded himself that Arthur was admitting that he had gotten rid of it... Thank God for that... Otherwise they would have had some real issues... 

“What? Really?” Gilbert asked leaning forward from where he sat so he could get a better view of Arthur. Once again, Alfred found himself not liking the expression on Gilbert's face, there was something about it that made Alfred suspicious... 

“Yeah, I don’t think it’s a wise idea for me to be looking for dates right now, not with everything that’s going on…” Arthur muttered, before quickly changing his tone, sounding more upbeat and humorous as he admitted, “Besides, I went on a few dates and the guys were God awful!”

 _“Really?”_ Gilbert asked, but Alfred could tell that he seemed more concerned about Arthur’s first statement.

“Yeah… I went on this one date with one of the male cheerleaders—Oh! We saw him at the first football game of the semester!” Arthur explained, “God, we sat there and he did not shut up, he was talking to be like I was writing his damn biography! I was tempted to ask him; _‘should I be taking notes?!’_ there’s nothing that pisses me off more than that!”

Arthur was laughing nervously, but Gilbert didn’t seem phased, “That’s ok, if it didn’t work for you. _But about that first statement...”_

“Just don’t let that creep isolate you, if you’re scared of seeing other people because of him…” Lovino muttered, and Gilbert nodded in agreement.

 _“I’m not! I’m not scared of him!”_ Arthur snapped as he crossed his arms over his chest in a huff, the pink pigment spraying his cheeks as he looked away to avoid the glares of the group, “I went on three dates and decided that tinder wasn’t my cup of tea, that’s all!”

While everyone else was more concerned about Arthur’s first statement, Alfred was overjoyed: Arthur has gotten rid of his tinder because of him! It’s a sign of loyalty! It means that Arthur isn’t going to be actively searching for other men while Alfred gets rid of the ones that are already around him! He isn't looking for anyone else! _YES!!_ Alfred could forgive Arthur for having a tinder in the first place, and he can’t be angry with him: Arthur just doesn’t know what he has yet, and Alfred was determined to show him.  
At least Arthur isn’t on that notorious dating app anymore, otherwise Alfred will have a whole other world of problems to deal with. 

The conversation quickly moved on to something else and Arthur returned to his normal position, engaging with the other members of the group with an aura of calmness and coolness. But Alfred just continued to watch him in absolute silence, picturing how he could just press Arthur down into the grass and kiss him then and there, just thinking about him made the butterflies in Alfred’s stomach go into a frenzy. It would be so romantic and passionate, their kiss would be electric and bring all other lovers to shame! But once again, the people around them would never allow that... He wanted to have Arthur to himself, and be as greedy as he wanted…

But then, the mood soured when everyone saw the look on Francis' face when he returned to the group, Alfred could instantly tell that something had shaken him, like he just watched a car crash, it was deeply concerning. Instantly, the Frenchman went to Arthur and leaned into him, whispering barely loud enough for Alfred to hear.

 _“There’s a new one at your door,”_ Francis whispered quickly, the news making Arthur jump into action, and he quickly rose from the ground.

It was true, Alfred excused himself from the group a small amount of time after the group settled on the grass. He used needing to go to the bathroom as an excuse to go into the dorms and deliver his latest letter for Arthur. But Alfred couldn't help but find the fact that Francis was the one to discover the letter interesting... Why would Francis see the letter that Alfred left for Arthur if they live on separate levels...? 

“We’ll be back in a second,” Arthur explained, trying to make a quick escape.

But of course Gilbert wasn't going to allow that, “What’s going on?” Gilbert asked firmly, clearly able to see that something was wrong.

Arthur breathed deeply before answering, shoving his hands into his pockets like a child being caught out, “There’s another letter at my door, I’m just going to go take care of it.”

Antonio sat up from where he laid on his place on the grass, and even prepared to get up himself as he frowned at Arthur with concern, “Do you want us to come with y—”

 _“I’m fine…”_ Arthur muttered as he kicked at the grass, shuffling awkwardly, his voice became slightly deeper and his face changed. “I’m just going to take it and… and I’ll be fine,”

“Are you telling us that, or yourself?” Lovino asked, instantly sending the group into an intense silence, where all eyes watched Arthurs reaction. Arthur frowned, as he seemed to be genuinely pondering Lovino’s question. But after a few moments, he frowned as the muttered something incoherent, before turning around with Francis and walking back to the international dorms with him.

“I don’t like where this is going…” Gilbert muttered as soon as Francis and Arthur were out of ear shot.

“Me neither, this is getting excessive, I can’t imagine what this is doing to Arthur emotionally,” Matthew agreed, “Surely there’s got to be more that we can do.”

“We can all stick close to him,” Alfred suggested, hopeful he could get more time out of Arthur from this.

“But that’s not going to stop that guy from writing these letters,” Lovino pointed out.

“Those are the problem,” Ivan muttered, "His letters give Arthur the fear." 

Lovino continued after nodding in agreement to what the Russian had pointed out, “We need to catch this guy and teach him a lesson. I’ve seen what this has been doing to Arthur, he looks absolutely dead in the mornings. He and I meet for breakfast regularly and he always looks like he hasn’t slept at all!”

“He’s not fine, I can see it in his eyes,” Gilbert added with a saddened look in his eyes, “And it’s only going to get worse.”

 _Ugh, come on_ … This talk made Alfred feel sick to his stomach and he didn't know whether it was caused by his anxiety or his anger.

Although, Alfred had to admit that this was at least a little bit funny: without realising, these people were speaking of Alfred like he was some kind of freak. Like he was going to throw Arthur into the back of a van and keep him tied up in his basement! Alfred wasn’t that kind of guy. He just wanted to have Arthur to himself, forever. And no damn ‘friends’ to get in the way of their love! It was making Alfred sick with anger, these people don’t understand how much he loves Arthur, or how much he needs him—there’s no way they’d ever be able to understand!

_They’d never be able to comprehend the love that Alfred had for Arthur._

All they want is to keep Arthur away from it, and Alfred wasn’t going to let anyone get away with that…  
But he kept his cool, he sat back and listened to the group discuss how badly they _‘cared’_ about Arthur’s situation, and how _‘worried’_ they were about him. Only so he could convince them that he was on their side, Alfred would chime in with agreements, even though he felt like he was going to be sick as names like _‘creep’, ‘perv’_ and _‘sick-fucker’_ were thrown around regularly. Of course, when Gilbert made promises to physically attack whoever was behind the letters, Alfred had to fight off the urge to laugh, _as if_.

Finally, Alfred could see Arthur and Francis returning to the group, but something felt off about them, they had changed, Alfred could see it in the way they walked with their faces directed to the ground and especially in the way that they were holding hands…

Alfred felt as though he had been punched in the gut, why the fuck does Francis get to hold Arthur’s hand, they’re not boyfriends— _they better fucking not be!_ If they did anything more than hold hands, Alfred was going to have a goddamn fit!

“How was it?” Ivan asked as Arthur and Francis quietly re-joined the group, but this time, Arthur and Francis sat on the opposite end of the circle to Alfred. While the American hated this, he couldn't deny that the view it gave him of Arthur was magnificent. But something still felt incredibly wrong, and the first thing that Alfred noticed was that Arthur was trembling. After seeing this, Alfred somewhat understood why Francis was holding his hand and watching over him like a mother-bear, but it still pissed Alfred off a little.

Thinking about it more, Alfred supposed that he couldn’t be too mad, Alfred couldn’t deny that Arthur may need the emotional support…

_This letter was something special…_

_“Bad…”_ Francis admitted, even trembling a little himself before looking down at Arthur with worried eyes.

For once, Alfred was not too bothered by the fact that it looks like Francis has read his letter: he wants people to see this one. Alfred will only continue to not have a problem with it as long as he doesn’t read the others.

“Can we not talk about it, please?” Arthur asked, his voice shaken as he ran his hands through his hair and tried to move away, but Francis hooked his arm around Arthur’s shoulder, keeping him close.

“But… Arthur…” Lovino muttered as the entire group frowned with worry, all watching Arthur crumble before their eyes.

“I promise, I’m fine. I’ll talk about it later, I just need some time,” Arthur explained, “Please, just act normally… _Please.”_

After a few seconds of awkward silence, Gilbert stuttered, “Alfred, Matthew, do you two want to stick around tonight for dinner? And Maybe go out to dinner with us on Friday? There's a cool diner in town that we want to try out."

“Yeah, that sounds nice,” Matthew replied, trying so hard to not make it obvious that he was aching in concern over Arthur.

“Yeah,” Alfred added, wondering what plans the international students had made, although; he was happy that he’s been invited to spend more time with Arthur: and that was an offer Alfred couldn’t refuse.

“We found a nice place in town, it looks really cool, Lovino and I saw the inside of it. It's a Korean place.” Antonio explained, obviously resisting the urge to look at Arthur, and keep the conversation ‘normal’.

But unlike Antonio, Alfred couldn’t resist watching Arthur. Sadly, it wasn’t as good as it was before, he could see the sad and hopeless look in Arthur’s beautiful eyes as he stared at his feet; and it was breaking his heart. It hurt to know that Alfred’s letter had caused Arthur to feel this way, but then again: he wrote that letter with a purpose.

The letter was bad, even by Alfred’s standards, but it was done with an intention.

But it didn’t mean that it hurt any less, it broke Alfred’s heart to see Arthur in so much pain, and he wanted nothing more than to crawl over to Arthur and hold him tightly, caress him and promise that everything was going to be ok… He just loved Arthur too much to risk exposing himself right now, but someday he will, someday there will be no one standing in the way of their love.  
He just had to sit through the heartbreak of watching Arthur curl under Francis’ arm, as he lifted his knees from the ground and held himself together, before pressing his forehead into his knees. God… Alfred wanted Arthur so badly, it physically hurt.

 _I’m so sorry, sweetheart; I’ll make it all Ok, I promise you, I love you so much –_ Alfred thought as he helplessly stared at Arthur, his eyes filled to the brim with nothing but love, using the protection that his sunglasses offered.

Alfred then looked at Ivan, bitterness overcame him when he saw that Ivan was looking at Arthur as well, but sadness lingered in his stare, he looked like he was resisting giving Arthur a cuddle too— _how dare he? Who the fuck does this bastard think he is?!_ Why does he think it’s cool to have Arthur all to himself, after stealing Alfred’s alone time with him?! Just seeing the Russian’s face left Alfred seething with anger and jealousy. To calm himself down, Alfred took in a deep breath and slowly released it, reminding himself of what’s to come, and how _glorious_ it’s going to be.

As the groups conversation returned to normal, Alfred kept his eyes on Arthur, only averting his gaze in moments where he could prove his worth to the conversation and to the group. But Arthur remained as the main thing on Alfred’s mind, even as he watched Arthur’s condition deteriorate and he started to tremble and hold himself tightly. Arthur’s shoulders even started jumping as he struggled to keep himself composed. Francis only tightened his grip around Arthur and whispered a few things into his ear, of which only angered the jealous monster inside of Alfred. He should be the one holding Arthur like that, soothing away his worries…

And then, Alfred realised why Arthur was trembling… Alfred caught a glimpse of Arthur’s face when he looked up to reply to something that Francis said, and Alfred could see the tears streaming down his cheeks. While Arthur looked so beautiful, even when crying; Alfred instantly felt the sting on top of his racing heartbeat, but this was for the best: He was doing this for them.

But God… Arthur still looked handsome when crying… His tears left Alfred feeling hungry for him...  Alfred quickly became hooked on Arthur’s face, seeing how his cheeks had become such a pigmented pink and his eyes were so wide, and the green in his eyes stood out from the reddening of his cheeks greatly. Even with the pain on his face, Arthur still looked like a work of art, and Alfred couldn’t help but linger as he watched Arthur quickly rub his face and hid back into Francis' arm in order to mask the fact that he was crying from the rest of the group.

He purposely made this letter _awful_ , and while it pained him to write it; because he knew how badly it would hurt Arthur, it’s still what he needed to do.

Arthur being in temporary pain was worth the lifetime they were going to spend together in the end and Alfred just had to keep telling himself that he was in charge of the situation, and then he’d feel fine. Arthur will forgive him for this eventually, it’ll all be ok once this entire thing has passed them and they're happily married: this is nothing to worry about!

Arthur, _Alfred’s darling_ , is just a little upset! The letter was long, detailed and covered all kinds of nasty things that he knew Arthur wouldn't like, it was the darkest things and fantasies that Alfred would have never wanted to admit, he was even shameful to admit them to himself- even if he was only using his creativity... Alfred wrote this letter intending to make Arthur’s skin crawl with fear. And it seemed to have worked: Arthur was mess.

Phase one of the plan was complete, now he just needed to wait a few days to begin phase two…

\-----

Finally, Tuesday night came and Alfred was having his only alone time with Arthur. He smiled as the Englishman left his classroom and rushed over to where Alfred stood, his eyes wide with excitement as he gave Alfred a smile wide enough to give the American goose-bumps.  
Even then; dressed in only a pair of black jeans and a green jacket with a scarf, Arthur looked radiant to Alfred. He just had to compose himself by the time Arthur reached him.

“Fuck, can we hurry, it’s freezing out here!” Arthur shivered as he took Alfred by the arm and pulled him onto the pathway so they could begin their walk through the campus. Alfred couldn't help but smile at this, and internally scream over the fact that Arthur touched him! Arthur  _touched him!!_

“You forgot a coat again, didn’t you?” Alfred chuckled, saddened when Arthur let go of his arm once they were on the right track, Alfred should have grabbed him back and not let go…

“Well, the weather was nice yesterday, and the sun was out this morning!” Arthur explained.

“It’s not the sun you’ve gotta worry about, it’s the air that’s cold,” Alfred explained, stopping momentarily to drop his bag on the ground so he could remove his brown leather-bomber jacket. And then Arthur paused for a moment before realising what Alfred was doing. 

_“Alfred, no—”_

“Hey, you can’t complain about being cold three weeks in a row and not expect me to act on that,” Alfred chuckled, smiling as Arthur as he pulled the warm jacket from his shoulders, before passing it to Arthur with a wink. “I almost feel like you’re doing that on purpose.”

“Oh, in your dreams, although, this is a nice-looking jacket…” Arthur scoffed as he put on the jacket, “Thank you, though… I will remember from now on.”

When Arthur zipped up Alfred’s jacket, Alfred was sure that the blood had rushed somewhere other than his brain, because he instantly became dizzy upon the sight of Arthur’s small frame being devoured by the old leather of Alfred’s jacket, which was at least a few sizes too big for him. He looked so _cute,_ Alfred was about to start screaming … Arthur was wearing HIS favourite jacket, and he looked gorgeous in it! Alfred had only seen Arthur wearing his jacket in his dreams, and the fact that it was happening right in front of him sent Alfred's heart over the moon. 

“But you must be cold,” Arthur pointed out, referring to Alfred’s blue jeans and grey jacket. While Alfred was freezing cold now, he was willing to hide it just to continue seeing Arthur wearing his clothes.

He’s never going to wash that jacket again after this and he hoped that Arthur’s smell would stick to it…

“Nah! I’m good!” Alfred chirped, smiling down at Arthur as the two walked down the steps, and Alfred feared that his time with Arthur was soon coming to an end. “How was your day?”

“I didn’t get much sleep last night, I had a nightmare; so, I was kind of fucked up today,” Arthur admitted, “You know, it was one of those days where you feel like it is all doomed to fail the second you wake up. That’s been happening very often…”

“Really? What was your nightmare?” Alfred asked, trying so hard to not smile as he thought about the dirty dream he had about Arthur that night…

“Well…” Arthur sighed, suddenly becoming very reserved, shoving his hands into the pockets of the thick jacket. “It was about… _Mmm._ ”

 _“Oh…”_ Alfred murmured, instantly getting what Arthur was hinting at. As Alfred considered himself to be the conductor of Arthur’s fear, he wasn’t that upset to know that Arthur had a nightmare revolving around his letters—if anything, it assisted his plan. He was going to make all of that fear disappear, “What happened?”

After a few more seconds of silence, Arthur began to explain, trying so hard to put on a brave face for the American, but Alfred could see the anxiety that lingered in Arthur’s eyes, “So… I was walking, alone… then I am grabbed from behind, I try my best to fight him, I elbow him in the stomach and kick around.”

“Right.”

“But, you know how in a dream all of your motor skills are reduced to nothing? I’m powerless, I try to scream and draw attention to what was happening, but no one can hear me. I am thrown into a dark room, where I am suddenly naked and tied up at my wrists and ankles.”

“Oh…”

“I… I feel… hands all over me, pushing me around, pulling at my legs, feeling me, touching me,” Arthur stuttered, before squirming where he stood, _“Uuuurrrhhhhhhhhhhh—_ I can still feel it! I’ve been feeling it all day!” Then, Arthur’s eyes widened as he turned to look at Alfred, where the American could see the anxiety in his glistening eyes, _“I’m still feeling it right now.”_

“Hey, it’ll be ok,” Alfred promised, trying so hard to not blush at the mental imagine of Arthur being naked and tied up— the idea of that excited Alfred so much, he knew he should be ashamed, but he just couldn't help himself. “We’ll get that creep, I promise.”

“I know we will… He can’t hide from me forever… But I doubt much that he would want to,” Arthur explained, his eyes narrowing, “I feel like a sitting duck during hunting season, he could come right up to me whenever he likes and I won’t even know it’s him…. I wouldn’t know until it’s too late.”

“Well, no one will get near you when I’m around.”

“Thank you,” Arthur sighed, before giving Alfred a look that sent shivers down the Americans, spine. Never before has Arthur given him a look so hopeful, yet serious; it struck him where he stood and left him powerless to fight against him. Alfred could just kiss him… “I really appreciate your help, everyone’s help. I don’t know what’d I’d do if I didn’t have the group with me…”

“Hey, you’re important to me, I’m not gonna let anyone who tries to hurt you get away with it,” Alfred smiled, before his smile disappeared when he and Arthur reached the bottom of the stairs to the international dorms, the place where they depart. It was always the worst part of the day, where Arthur would leave Alfred... 

But, Arthur didn’t immediately leave after taking off Alfred’s jacket, instead, he pulled the American in for a tight hug, making Alfred freeze with shock, before quickly wrapping his arms around Arthur’s small frame. Alfred could feel Arthur’s warmth radiate from his body, it felt good enough for Alfred to never want to let him go. Alfred's heart was racing as he tightly squeezed Arthur in his arms, completely engulfing his small frame. 

“If this situation has taught me anything; it’s that I really do have a good group of people around me,” Arthur whispered, sending a shiver down Alfred’s spine with every word. It felt so good to have Arthur so close, he was sure that he was about to combust. Everything from how his breathing sounded up close to how he smelled was like a freeze breeze of air to Alfred. The Englishman made him aware, alert and oh… oh so happy… So much so, that when Arthur started to let go, Alfred only held on tighter, he was not going to let this moment end so soon. 

“I saw you cry yesterday and I just wanted to say that it’ll all be better in the end, I promise…” Alfred promised, holding on so tightly to the Englishman, he could hear him breathe into his shoulder. Alfred’s words seemed to have worked on Arthur, as he could feel Arthur’s shoulders relax in his arms, as he held on, returning the American’s hug.

It was moments like this that reminded Alfred of what he was working so hard to gain; Arthur’s undivided and affectionate attention… That hug was like a fix to an addict, it send the blood rushing through Alfred's veins like a shot of adrenaline. It left him walking back to the campus feeling as though he could fly. 

_And it was only going to get better..._

\------

Alfred could still remember how good it felt to have Arthur’s arms wrapped around him, even 24 hours later. He could still feel him if he tried to imagine hard enough...

The memories sent a buzz through Alfred’s body as he took a seat on the bleachers, watching Arthur stretch before soccer practice began, chatting with Ivan, who was tying up his shoelaces on the grass.

All Alfred could think about was how good it felt when Arthur hugged him… It only told Alfred that everything he was doing was working—his stalking was bringing them closer! And what he’s about to do to Ivan will only make them closer, Arthur will no longer fear the writer of his love letters…

Soccer practice was more exciting than usual, and Arthur scored a few impressive goals, making Alfred swoon like a life-long fan in the bleachers. Alfred loved how Arthur still continued to wear shorts, despite the freezing wild that embraced Rockford that day, surprisingly which made his legs even more white, Alfred couldn’t help but chuckle.

Arthur quickly ran from different points of the field, dribbling the ball between his feet with such style and skill, once again Alfred found himself unable to take his eyes off of Arthur. It was so addictive, Alfred couldn't help but take photos as quickly as he could, praying that they don't come out too blurry. But as Alfred watched the action through his camera, his smile disappeared when Ivan joined the frame. While it upset Alfred when other members of the soccer team got in Alfred's shot, only Ivan made him enraged. Because every time Ivan got near Arthur, something bad was bound to happen. 

And naturally, it did happen, Ivan tried to take the ball but interjected his foot too much that it caused the pair to drip to the ground. The ball rolled away but Alfred couldn't take his eyes off of Ivan and Arthur as they laid on the grass, right next to each other!! Then, Ivan rolled over onto his stomach, bringing himself even closer to Arthur, even  _daring_ to bring their faces closer. If he was going to kiss him, it would have been done there! 

 _"Don't... You... Dare..."_ Alfred growled, seeing red as he watched Ivan and Arthur chat in their position, the closeness made Alfred want to scream in fury!

Thankfully the coach yelled and that got Arthur and Ivan back on their feet, and running in the opposite directions so they could resume the game. 

By the end of the game, Alfred was left salivating as he watched Arthur heave as he rested his hands on his knees and leaned forward, breathing deeply enough for Alfred to be able to see the rise and fall of his chest from the bleachers. Instantly Alfred thought of Arthur heaving like that on top of him – Alfred had to adjust himself in his seat to cope with the quiver of excitement and heat.

 _“Fuck…”_ Alfred whispered, before frowning when he saw that Ivan had approached Arthur, and was now speaking with him, smiling. Alfred’s eyes narrowed as he watched them, determined to ruin this: determined to keep his sweetheart safe and mend their relationship.

_He doesn’t have that much longer to wait…_

\------

When the soccer team started to migrate into the shower rooms, Alfred saw his opportunity to strike and crept to the bottom of the bleachers, watching as the soccer team members disappeared to go to the shower rooms, leaving their bags scattered around the bottom of the bleachers, where the coach stood with his back to the bags.

With his eyes fixed on the coach, Alfred crept through the bags, finding the only bag in the group to have a key-chain with the Russian flag on it.

In this moment, Alfred froze... Does he really need to do this to Ivan? Is there another way, or is he really a threat? Suddenly the threats of mercy evaporated the second he remembered all of the anger and jealousy that Ivan had caused Alfred throughout the past month. Alfred convinced himself that if he doesn't manage to get rid of Ivan _today,_ Alfred will lose Arthur to him. And that would be a fate worse than death for Alfred, he would not be able to accept it.

So, Quickly, Alfred took one very important item from Ivan's bag, and replaced it with another, before escaping back to his place on top of the bleachers as he prayed that no one had taken much notice of him.  
This was going to be fucking glorious…

Alfred’s feet tapped in anticipation as he watched Arthur and Ivan re-enter the field and pick up their bags, chatting and laughing as they cleaned up their things. He then followed them from the field to the library, and watched as they set up their supplies in their usual spot, and so Alfred took his spot behind the bookshelf, crouching so he could get the perfect view.

“I did what you said, and asked for extension,” Ivan explained, “He said yes: I have three more days to finish.”

“That’s good!” Arthur replied as he took out his laptop, “I’ve noticed that your English is worse when you’re stressed. The extension will be good for you.”

“Yeah, I don’t think about translation when getting stress!” Ivan chuckled, “Too busy panicking! Thank you for helping me again. Really, really, thank you.”

“It’s no issue at all,” Arthur replied, smiling so sweetly, it made Alfred’s heart skip a beat—oh, how Alfred couldn’t wait to have Arthur smiling at him, and only him, like that… Alfred was determined to make that happen, no matter how many people he had to topple over.

Alfred smiled when he saw Ivan start to look through his bag, and Alfred knew what he was looking for… Ivan instantly noticed the missing item and frowned as Alfred’s smile intensified; watching like a child seeing his Christmas present getting wrapped. Tightening his grip on Ivan’s precious Russian/English dictionary, Alfred watched as Ivan stood up and frantically searched through his bag, his face becoming paler as his search failed.

“Are you ok?” Arthur asked, finally noticing Ivan's change, "Is something wrong?"

 _“Shit!_ My dictionary, gone!” Ivan grumbled, “I put it here, in this bag! I know it! I use it today! Shit!”

“Did you see it before practice?” Arthur asked.

_“Da!”_

“It’s got to still be in there, it will be fine…” Arthur murmured, watching as Ivan started to empty his bag, taking out mundane items like a water bottle, his laptop, another book. And then the fun started when he started pulling out papers… “Beside we can just use Google transla… _te…”_ Alfred’s eyes widened when he watched the incriminating envelope land on the table, with the red smiley face sticker facing upwards, staring directly at Arthur. It cut Arthur where he was and stole his breath away, showing Alfred the power of Arthur’s realisation. 

The impact was almost immediate, Alfred watched, salivating, as Arthur continued to stare at the envelope like a deer caught in headlights, and Alfred could see Arthur’s thought process all the way from the bookshelf.

 _“Shit! No!”_ Ivan huffed, sitting back down into his chair with a huff, not even noticing Arthur’s change, “I can’t lose -- book! It gift! Important gift! I – I use a lot!” Ivan finally looked over to see Arthur’s face as the Englishman’s head slowly turned to look at him, his face reflecting the shock and fear that had been building up over the past few weeks. Finally, Ivan was reacting to Arthur and seeing what was unfolding before him, and suddenly the missing dictionary didn’t seem as important anymore, _“Arthur…?”_

Arthur looked hurt, heartbroken, shocked and best of all: absolutely terrified, and now all of it was centred on Ivan. Arthur opened his mouth to speak, but no words could come out, Arthur looked like he could barely breathe, let alone speak. It was  _delicious._

 _“Who’s there?!”_ Ivan snapped angrily, rising from his chair to look around the small study area, not even realising that it was him that Arthur was terrified of. Alfred even let out an amused sigh when Ivan said, _“Leave Arthur alone!”_

Ivan decided to act like he was some kind of guard-dog, his head moving as he looked out among the bookshelves, but was unable to see where Alfred hid. As if that would help Arthur at all.

Alfred’s smile became crooked as he watched Arthur continue to stare at Ivan, trying to figure out what he could do to escape! All of Arthur’s fears were standing right in front of him, leaving him vulnerable for Alfred to soothe…

If Arthur believes that Ivan wrote the bad letters, then he will only associate the bad things with Ivan—Leaving Alfred the room he needs to get back into Arthur’s good side, and leave letters only filled with love for him! Hell! Alfred will tell him that Ivan only wrote the bad ones! Alfred is the good guy! His hero! With Ivan out of the way, Alfred will not only have more time with Arthur, but Alfred will have someone to blame all of Arthur’s fear on!

It was like watching a car crash: Alfred just couldn’t pull himself away. Arthur and Ivan fell into complete silence and Ivan only became more confused and anxious as Arthur stared at him with wide and horrified eyes.

Alfred put his hand over his mouth to shield his crooked smile as Ivan looked back at Arthur, scared and confused as to what was going on. But Arthur shuddered and moved away, much to Alfred’s joy.

Funnily enough, even when terrified: Arthur still looked delicious to Alfred… He came to like the sight of it more than he expected. The way Arthur’s smaller frame shivered with every breath and how he trembled took control of Alfred’s attention span. Arthur’s eyes widened so much; Alfred could see their intoxicating green colour from where he stood and it was addictive for Alfred to watch Arthur have such a highly emotional response to something he did, no matter how indirect, or negative it was. Alfred was even tempted to get his phone out and take photos, such a stunning expression would be wonderful for Alfred's collection. But he couldn't bring himself to lose focus on the situation before him for even a second. It was only getting better. 

“Arthur, what’s wrong?” Ivan asked as he moved closer to Arthur, and even dared to reach out and try to touch him. “What…? Arthur—”

 _“Don’t!”_ Arthur hissed, as he snapped away from Ivan. Without breaking eye contact with the Russian, Arthur rushed to snatch his laptop, the envelope and his bag, before dashing away and leaving Ivan stunned and confused.

 _"Wh... Wha...?"_ Ivan muttered, absolutely stunned by what just happened. It took Ivan a few seconds to process what just happened, and so quickly, while muttering in Russian, Ivan hurried to pack up his own things, and anything that Arthur left behind.

Ivan looked around the area again, still not completely convinced that it was really him that Arthur had run from, Alfred could tell instantly that Ivan knew something was wrong... But little did Ivan know; he was just another challenge for Alfred to overcome in his relentless pursuit of Arthur.

Alfred had to hold himself back from laughing loudly as he watched Ivan dash away from the desk, determined to run after Arthur; which probably won’t help his situation. But once Ivan was away, Alfred stood up straight and released a dark cackle, impressed with how well his plan worked, and how clueless Ivan was to the situation. It was so funny, Alfred had to hold off laughing like a mad man, and it was only getting harder by the second. 

With a buzz of adrenaline running through his veins, Alfred left the library to go to the international dorms to watch the mess he created unfold… _And tear Ivan apart._

Once he was outside the library, and the sun was starting to set over Rockford, Alfred unleashed his dark smile, finally letting his true colours show.What will unfold back at the international dorm was going to be fascinating… And Alfred couldn’t wait to see the carnage he created.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dear Magiclaud,  
> Good guess-- as soon as I read your comments I was like "Oh, God-dammit"  
> I wonder what else you'll theorise ;) 
> 
> And to everyone else as well, thank you for reading and enjoy your day!


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes stalkers will take it upon themselves to create a situation (dangerous or otherwise) to trap their victim, only for the stalker to come in and ‘save them’, therefore gratifying themselves and validating their place in the victim’s life. Sometimes, if the stalkers involvement in the creation of the situation is unknown: this behaviour can be used as a method to gain the victims trust, or make the victim feel as though they owe their stalker. This is called being a ‘Dark Angel’.

_“IVAN, YOU BASTARD! I’LL KILL YOU!!”_   Francis roared, lunging at the Russian the second he saw him, which happened to be the moment that Alfred entered the common area for Arthur’s level in the international dorms.

Oh, he’s just in time for the show…

 _“What!?”_ Ivan shrieked like a little girl, lifting his arm to defend himself as Francis roared at him, only being held back by Antonio and Gilbert.

 _“You! You knew what the letters were doing to Arthur! You didn’t stop it! How dare you!! You sick fuck!!”_ Francis roared, desperately fighting against Antonio and Gilbert’s grip. Which was impressive, as Antonio had wrapped his arm across Francis’ chest and held him from behind, and Gilbert stood in front of him and held him by the shoulder, but kept his eyes locked on Ivan… Considering all of the threats that Gilbert had made in the past, he’s probably holding off running at the Russian himself, which only made this better for Alfred.

“What did I do?!” Ivan asked, snapping, “Why he mad?! I don’t know! He ran! I don't understand! Why you yell!?”

 _“FUCK YOU!!”_ Francis spat, before ranting in French as he tried to escape his friend’s grips, staring at Ivan with eyes coated in rage. Alfred was intrigued by Francis’ reaction, although: he isn’t surprised that his reaction was the strongest out of the whole group. Ivan’s eyes widened out of fear, the poor guy still had no clue what was going on, it was so funny to Alfred: he had to resist the urge to burst out into laughter: the poor bastard has no clue as to why his friend was suddenly damning him! _“FUCK YOU TO HELL!!”_

Perhaps Alfred should start thinking about how he can join in on this. Maybe he can have some of his own fun...

“What the hell’s going on, y'all?” Alfred asked, finally making his presence known as Matthew and Lovino entered the common area too, holding shopping bags of what was probably going to be dinner for the dorms residents. Matthew immediately made eye contact with Alfred and frowned, silently asking him for an explanation, but all Alfred gave him was a shrug and a confused stare.

As far as anyone knows, Alfred just came back from studying, and came to the dorms to meet up with Matthew so they could drive home together… There’s no way in hell anyone would suspect otherwise…

“Hey! Francis, what are you doing?!” Lovino snapped, frowning as the Frenchman continued to growl like a caged animal.

Francis grunted as he tried one more time to escape his friend’s grips, but failed, so he growled as he continued to stare directly at Ivan, _“Arthur found another creepy letter in Ivan’s bag! He’s the stalker!”_

And at that, the jaws of everyone present dropped, no one more than Ivan’s, as the Russian roared, _“WHAT?!”_

“Dude, are you SERIOUS?!” Alfred snapped, wanting to join in the fun and stir the pot of tension among the group as all eyes fell on Ivan; even Matthew looked pissed.

It was amazing for Alfred to see how quickly members in the group would turn on one of their own…

The panic within Ivan set off immediately, like a firework on the fourth of July, _“NO! Not me! I not the stalker – I mean – stalk-stalking! NYET! I don’t the writer the letters! N-NO! Why—why does he think it’s me!?”_

 _“Arthur saw the letter fall out of your bag in the library!”_ Francis spat, _“You have no idea what you’ve done to him! Do you?! You fucking sick pervert! God save you once I get my hands on you!”_

“You’ve been caught out,” Gilbert hissed, his eyes narrowing at Ivan as the Russian became even paler and his eyes wider, “I suggest you start talking…”

 _“But I haven’t done anything!”_ Ivan pleaded, lifting his hands as a way to reason with the growing animosity of the group. _“I swear—”_

“Stop it, Ivan!” Antonio grumbled.

God… Alfred didn’t even have to say _anything_ , everything was just falling into place so perfectly, he could literally grab some popcorn and watch the chaos unfold. This scenario was playing out better than he imagined, he may as well imagine Ivan in a meat-suit being chased by hungry dogs! Francis would probably rip the Russian to shreds like he was if Gilbert and Antonio weren't holding him back. 

 _“You’re lucky that Arthur doesn’t want to press charges! But I will make your life hell for what you’ve done to him!”_ Francis hissed,  _"Why would you do this to him!?"_

“How dare you…” Lovino grumbled at Ivan, “We all trusted you!”

 _"Arthur trusted you!"_ Matthew added, his tone even sent a shiver down Alfred's spine, and made Ivan's head snap in his direction. 

 _“But I did nothing!”_ Ivan snapped at Matthew, which pushed Gilbert to let go of Francis and approach the Russian, only stopping once he stood toe-to-toe with him.

“Don’t you dare snap at him!” Gilbert growled, unafraid to stand up to the Russian who towered over him. Perhaps Gilbert will finally carry out his threats…

 _“But I did not write!”_ Ivan hissed, his face becoming red, his eyes watering, _“I not the letter rea-Writer! No! Nyet! YA ne pisal eti uzhasnyye pis'ma!”_

“Ivan—”

But Ivan started to shake, grabbing his light hair so tightly, like he was about to rip it out, _“Not me! I not writing of the letters! Artur - moy drug! Friend! YA zabochus' o nem!”_

“If you’re going to defend yourself, then try saying it in English!” Gilbert snapped, before freezing with his eyes wide with shock, _“Oh my god… English…”_ Gilbert first looked back to Francis and Antonio, who had frozen in their awkward pose, before he looked back to Ivan with a face that looked like he’d just been punched in the gut, “Your English is _shit!”_

 _“Yes…?”_ Ivan asked, frowning.

“You suck at English!” Gilbert hissed.

 _“Oh my god…”_ Francis gasped, as Antonio finally let go of him, sensing that the Frenchman wasn’t going to attack. “The letters are in perfect English…”

 _“No way…”_ Matthew stuttered, before bringing his hand to his face as he recoiled in shock, “If the letters are in perfect English, then there’s no way he could have written the letters, right?”

“But Google Translate!” Alfred pointed out, still trying to return the animosity towards Ivan, listening to the unconvinced muttering of the multi-lingual students. Alfred gasped through his teeth, seeing the groups opinion change before his eyes, he was watching his own plan unravel.

“There’s only one way we can make sure,” Gilbert sighed, his face going red as he looked back at Ivan, “Do you have a notebook?”

“Yes!” Ivan answered before reaching into his bag, before taking out a blue A4 notebook, and opening it for the group to see as everyone gathered around. Alfred frowned as he looked down and saw that Ivan’s notebook was only full of Russian handwriting and drawings.

 _“But…”_ Alfred stuttered, but was unable to think of anything to say for once, and it seemed like no one in the group even heard him.

“I don’t hand the writing in English, it’s un-readish,” Ivan explained, happily showing around his notebook. Ivan looked like he had just escaped getting hit by a bus, his cheeks were bright pink, his eyes dialated, and wow, Alfred had never seen a guy shake so much. 

Gilbert then looked back to Francis, “Are the letters written by hand?”

“Arthur told me they all are,” Francis replied.

“So, what?” Alfred asked, not realising that his voice deepened. For a moment there, Alfred wasn't as calm as he wanted to be. 

No! It wasn’t supposed to go like this, they’re all meant to hate Ivan! The only remaining sceptic seemed to be Lovino, who crossed his arms over his chest and narrowed his harsh glare. Alfred tried to not let his anger show, this was not how his plan was supposed to turn out, Ivan should have been chased of campus by damn pitchforks and torches! Not receiving sympathetic looks like he's the victim!!

“Oh my God! Oh my God! Ivan’s been set up!” Francis declared, before quickly pulling the Russian in for a hug, “I’m so, so sorry for snapping at you! _I'm so sorry! I didn't know!”_  
Despite receiving the forgiveness of the group, Ivan still seemed shaken; he kept looking around nervously like he was expecting someone to attack him from behind-- He’s lucky that Alfred didn’t do just that.

\-----

Another sweet dream of Arthur's love graced Alfred's mind that night, and Alfred woke up in the morning with a wide smile on his face and intoxicating lust pumping through his veins, concluding that last nights fantasy had to be the best one yet.

He remembered the visual almost perfectly: Arthur was lying on a bed in front of him, completely naked and bound by his wrists behind his back, laying there looking as delicious as a turkey on thanksgiving. When Alfred found himself before this wonderful sight, it felt somewhat familiar, like he had seen this before.

But still, Arthur looked like perfection, delicious, soft and tempting perfection, as he laid in silence and stillness, like he was a doll, waiting for Alfred. The look of anticipation and fear in Arthur’s eyes only made Alfred more excited, and the colour on Arthur's cheeks was cute enough to make Alfred's heart melt. But the best part was how Arthur’s hands were bound behind his back, and he was helpless under Alfred and could do nothing but watch as Alfred stared down at him with a hungry and perverted grin…

It was only when Alfred woke in the morning and reimagined the scene did he realise why the sight looked so familiar, because he heard Arthur describe it as his nightmare the other day. Alfred should really be ashamed of himself, but he enjoyed the sight way too much to even consider guilt. He rationalised that surely Arthur would like it if _HE_ was the one touching him!

Alfred’s fantasy was getting deeper by the day and he could feel his love grow stronger, he loved Arthur so badly, it hurt. Alfred smiled as he clutched his pillow and hugged it tightly as he rolled over, wanting nothing more than for that pillow to be Arthur. Only Arthur was worthy of Alfred's devotion, and only Alfred was worthy to give it to him, no other man could treat Arthur like Alfred could. No other man would give Arthur love like Alfred could, and his dreams seemed to prove it.

Alfred could just imagine how beautiful Arthur would look in the mornings with his messy hair and tired eyes, staring at Alfred with all the love in the world. Becoming lulled into his fantasy-state, Alfred imagined them in the future: they’d laugh, kiss and cuddle with their legs intertwined under the blankets every morning, their love would bring lifelong couples to shame. _God, they would be so perfect together!_

Alfred rolled onto his back with a smile like he won the lottery as he tightly cuddled his pillow and looked up at the ceiling with the glimmer of joy in his baby-blue eyes.

He could see them getting married, living together, adopting kids – and a dog too! – Ah! They’ll be so happy together: he just needs Arthur to realise this dream too! They were the missing pieces in each other's puzzles, and once they come together, their lives will be complete! 

Alfred was willing to beat any challenge that Arthur throws at him, or any man who tries to get in Alfred’s way.

\------

Alfred felt infuriated when he joined the group in the international dorms common area, and Ivan was sitting with them. All of the happiness from his thoughts that morning drained from his body the second he saw that Russians stupid face. What the fuck?! He’s supposed to be gone, why the fuck is he still sitting with the group!?

Perhaps Alfred has more work to do to ensure that Ivan goes away. He needs to scare the Russian off, _for good._

Alfred glanced at members of the group as he and Matthew joined them, everyone seemed nervous or anxious, but no one more than Arthur, who was sitting next to Gilbert on the couch.  
Ivan may as well have been sitting by himself, judging by how awkwardly and silently he was sitting on the outskirts of the group. It was so pathetic, if he caught someone so much as look at him for too long, he would shuffle away, like a child being caught leaving time-out.

Perhaps Ivan isn’t as convinced that people believe that he isn’t the stalker, and maybe this is something that Alfred can use to his advantage to get rid of him once and for all...

Before long, all of Alfred's attention was back on Arthur, and the longer Alfred looked, the more he could see what Arthur was feeling: he looked as though he hadn't slept at all last night, and all of the colour had been drained from his cheeks. On top of that, Arthur was rarely looking up from his phone and when he did: he didn’t even look at Ivan. This was _somewhat_ what Alfred wanted, but it was the fact that the Russian decided to stick around that pissed Alfred off. Alfred wanted him gone, and he was going to get what he wanted. But how...   
There’s no way in hell that everyone in the group isn’t at least a little bit suspicious of Ivan! The letter was in the guys bag for fucks sake! How could they not want to burn him?!  
Thankfully, it looks like Lovino is avoiding Ivan in the same way Arthur was, at least Alfred could still count on him to do what he wanted! Unlike Francis, Antonio and Gilbert, who were trying to get Ivan more involved in the conversation, only to be shut down. 

The awkwardness lasted the entire time that the group was together, and this gave Alfred all the info he needed to come up with another plan to get rid of Ivan. Alfred had decided that he was too much of a threat, Arthur can't even have him as a friend, the thought of it made Alfred stress. 

Ivan’s presence plagued Alfred like an unreachable itch. It was always in the back of his mind as he attended his classes and went through his day, thinking about how he could combat this. It wasn’t good enough that Ivan and Arthur won’t even look at each other, he wants Ivan _GONE_. Ivan has to go or Alfred won’t sleep at night—terrified of the Russian crawling his way back to Arthur’s side, getting as close to him, or even closer than before! He could still take Arthur away! It was giving Alfred anxiety to even think about it, he couldn’t even concentrate on his class or his assignments—which he was already struggling to keep up with. His obsession with Arthur has managed to make a noticeable impact on his grades, but Alfred supposed that the sacrifice was worth it.  Besides, he knows the material and knows that he’s smart: He’ll be fine when it comes to the finals!

Alfred couldn’t even concentrate on watching Arthur speak with Afonso over lunch, for once the Portuguese teacher was not the enemy on Alfred’s mind, despite how much the teachers interest in Arthur bothered him.

Not even watching Arthur smile was able to help this anxiety, he had to fix this issue with Ivan, immediately.

And so, Alfred went on the hunt to find the Russian, wanting to have him alone, where no one can interrupt them. And while it did take him until Friday morning, two days after the plan failed that Alfred eventually caught Ivan alone on the bridge that stood between some campus buildings and the library.

Alfred smiled, masking his insidious intentions perfectly as he started running towards the Russian, charging him like a lion would prey, "Hey, Ivan!”

“A-Alfred!” Ivan chuckled, first being surprised by Alfred’s strong approach, smiling nervously as the American caught up with him. Ivan seemed even more nervous when he saw Alfred’s smile, “Hello…”

“Hey, chill, we’re friends,” Alfred chuckled, calmly shoving his hands in the pockets of his bomber jacket as he stood in Ivan’s way, _“Right…?”_

“Yes,” Ivan answered, confused.

“Good and so, as friends, we should watch out for each other; right?” Alfred asked, his eyes pooling with excitement as he tried to appear as trustworthy and bubbly as he could; because he knew that from this point forward, he was going to be lying through his teeth and felt absolutely no remorse for it. Alfred was going to be as manipulative as he possibly could, this was going to be a test of his true abilities! He knew that Ivan was smart, so it will take some good points in order to sway Ivan to his side…

“What do you mean…?” Ivan asked, frowning, which told Alfred that his act wasn’t working, and so Alfred changed to take on a more serious approach. He stopped stepping around and planted his boots firmly on the concrete, staring directly into Ivan’s eyes.

“You do realise that everyone still thinks you’re Arthur’s stalker, right?” Alfred asked.

Instantly, Ivan’s eyes widened and his face tightened; and Alfred knew that he had the Russian caught in his web, _“But I’m not! I swear!”_

“Dude, _I_ know, _I_ believe you,” Alfred promised, resisting the urge to chuckle at the irony, “What I’m saying is that the others _don’t!”_

“What…?” Ivan muttered, “But they said—”

 _“Really?_ You thought they forgave you? You saw the way Francis wanted to rip you to shreds on Wednesday night! Hell, he, Gilbert and Antonio were going to ambush you again to make you confess if I didn’t step in – and don’t you dare tell them I said that, or they’ll kick my ass!!”

 _“I… I – they…”_ Ivan stuttered, his face burning bright red as he struggled, “Why do they think I the stalker—I said not I!—Fuck!— But they all said…”

 _“They don’t. No one believes you.”_ Alfred stated, bluntly. “They all think you’re Arthur’s stalker and just dodged a bullet, I’m the only one who’s willing to hear you out or defend you when they talk shit behind your back!”

“I…”

“Of course, no one will say anything while you’re there, who’s going to say _‘we all think you’re a stalker, please leave’_ to someone?” Alfred explained, his eyes darkening as he watched his words hurt Ivan. As he expected, the Russian was crumbling, cracks showing as his expression faltered constantly, like every word out of Alfred's mouth was a slap to the face. 

“Truthful? They don’t like me…?”

“No one will say that to you, but they’re all watching you, waiting for another excuse to point the finger at you! Arthur is terrified of you!” Alfred had to hide his smile as he watched Ivan look away, not wanting to show Alfred the pain on his face, but Alfred craved it, and so he kept talking. _“If they find one more way to blame you…”_

 _“Nyet…”_ Ivan whimpered softly, “Did they serious, do they speak this… I… My English is bad… Not the writer…”

“Yeah, they think you’re using Google Translate, and writing slowly—it’s bullshit,” Alfred explained, “I don’t know, but let’s just say that Gilbert dismissed his own theory pretty fast. They all think you're gonna lock Arthur in a dark room and--"

 _“But I’m not stalker!”_ Ivan replied, finally showing Alfred the watering of his eyes, _“I protect Arthur! I care about him! So much! Never to hurt him!”_

“Don’t worry! I know, I’m on your side!” Alfred promised, placing his hands on the Russians arms to calm him down, seeing that everything was working now.

“If I explain—”

 _“NO!_ — Don’t—Don’t do that,” Alfred interrupted, quickly calming himself down, and before Ivan could ponder Alfred’s behaviour, the American continued, “Don’t bother, if you do that they’ll think you’re sucking up to them, and that’ll just make it even worse.”

“What I do now?” Ivan asked.

“Look, I think you’ve just gotta distance yourself from the group. Stop hanging around and don’t let yourself get associated with Arthur. What these people think is gonna matter, and your behaviour is gonna change that.” Alfred explained, smiling as he looked into Ivan’s eyes, watching his words set in. _"You've gotta trust me on this..."_

 _“But… But_ …” Ivan stuttered, struggling to accept Alfred’s advice, “How long?”

“I don’t know, probably until the real stalker is caught,” Alfred replied, fighting his urge to smile. He knows that Ivan could easily kick his ass if the Russian suspects him at all. But... Alfred was confident that he had Ivan right where he wanted him...

“But… they’re only people I…” Ivan muttered, “I know—don’t know other…”

 _“You serious?”_ Alfred muttered as he honestly fought the urge to laugh, thinking about whether group are seriously the only people who Ivan hangs out with? Are those people seriously Ivan's _only friends!? Damn, that's pretty fucking sad!_  He couldn't help but internally snicker; it was one of the most pathetic things he's heard. Before Ivan could even notice the slight change in Alfred’s face, he explained, “I’m really sorry, I am. I just thought I’d let you know this was going on. You’ve always been nice and … It’s not fair that you’ve been blamed for all this…”  
But it’s what needed to happen….

“They the first to speak with me,” Ivan muttered.

“Well, because of this, it’d be best if you didn’t rock the boat by sticking around, you know? I’m sorry, I really do wish there was another way around this,” Alfred explained, showing a face of genuine compassion, despite the fact that Alfred was cackling on the inside.   
After about a minute of silence and of Alfred watching Ivan seriously contemplate Alfred’s points, Ivan looked at Alfred, and Alfred prayed that his words managed to trick the Russian. Alfred was well aware that Ivan wasn’t stupid, but it still doesn’t mean that he can’t be emotionally manipulated.

“You are right. I think.” Ivan muttered, his deep voice laced in defeat, that sounded like a sweet melody to Alfred, "They won’t forgive or not forget what happened, not my fault but, it happen… Why do they think I did it? It make no sense, the letter was put in bag!”

“They’ll think what they want to think, what matters is what you do,” Alfred explained, “Plus, Arthur was really scared.”

Ivan frowned as he sighed deeply, “Tell Arthur I’m sorry…”

 _“I will,”_ Alfred lied, unapologetic and ruthless. 

As Ivan turned his back to Alfred to make his way back to the library, the American smiled darkly, confident that Ivan won’t be interfering with Alfred’s time with Arthur ever again…

\----

Knowing the he has been invited to dinner with the group, Alfred walked to the international dorms, where he saw that only a few people had gathered in the common room.  
The common room was fairly small, but then again, this was the common room for only one level of dorms, which Alfred had learned contained twenty private bedrooms and four bathrooms. Alfred knew that Arthur, Gilbert and Antonio stayed on this level, whereas Lovino was on the level below, and Francis and Ivan were on the level above. The common room consisted of a small kitchen and dining area on one side of the room, and leisure items on the other side, like couches, a foosball table, bookshelves and a large TV.

“Hey guys,” Alfred murmured, dropping his bag down as he waved at Gilbert and Matthew who were on the couch, and Francis, who sat in a large arm chair with his feet up. “What’s the plan for tonight?”

“So, Lovino and Antonio said that they saw a nice looking Korean restaurant and bar in town,” Gilbert explained, “I haven’t actually had Korean food before.”

“Ooh, it’s really nice,” Matthew pointed out.

“The others shouldn’t be too long,” Francis added, “Arthur would have gotten out of the shower by now.”

“How’s he going, by the way?” Matthew asked, frowning with concern, which was only made worse by the defeated look on Francis’ face.

 _“Not good,”_ Francis sighed, “He had a huge panic attack on Wednesday night and hasn’t really recovered yet. While he understands that it couldn’t have been Ivan, he…”

“Looking at him brings it back…” Gilbert finished, “That’s shit, because it’s not Ivan’s fault…”

“But how else could have the letter gotten into his bag?” Alfred asked, before putting his hands up in defence after receiving ugly glares from Francis and Gilbert, obviously they were ready to defend Ivan's honour to the death: shame that the Russian won't anymore. “Hey! I’m just saying! Why would a stalker want to pin it on somebody else, it’s illogical!?”

“Stalkers aren’t logical people,” Francis hissed, “What this guy thinks he has for Arthur is all based on a _delusion_ —a delusion that they’re going to be together, no matter how Arthur feels about it.”

At this, Alfred’s eyes narrowed, silently daring the Frenchman to say more. Besides, it’s not like Alfred could hate Francis any more. How dare he belittle their love to a pathetic _delusion,_ who the fuck does he think he is?! What does he know about Alfred and his love for Arthur!? _Nothing!_  

But of course, Francis had more to say and he sighed as he crossed his legs, continuing, “Love is something that shouldn’t be forced on others. But, then again, this guy does not want to love Arthur: _he wants to own him.”_

Alfred tightened his hands into fists as they rested inside the pockets of his bomber-jacket, as he restrained himself from physically assaulting the Frenchman. How dare he, how dare he say it’s not love!! And how dare he minimise their relationship to such a low standard! ‘Own him’ – Pfft!! What bullshit! What made this worse was the fact that Gilbert and Matthew were agreeing with him.

This only proved Alfred’s point further that they cannot comprehend what Alfred and Arthur have, and that they only want to stand in the way and stop them from being happy! He and Arthur belong together and they just can't take it!! 

But, of course, Francis just had to _keep_ _fucking_ _talking_ , “This stalker does not care at all about what he is doing to Arthur, he probably saw what good Ivan was doing for him and decided to sabotage it!”

“I dunno… It was still in his bag…” Alfred murmured softly. Goddammit, why can’t the Frenchman just shut his fucking mouth!? Alfred was only becoming more and more anxious over his plan with Ivan working, which now all hinges on Ivan being too afraid to speak with anyone from the group. If Ivan speaks to someone about their conversation: Alfred is absolutely fucked. However, judging by the look on the Russians face and his anxious behaviour, his words will stick to him for a long time…

“His obsession isn’t healthy and it does nothing but hurt Arthur, and I'm so scared of it destroying him,” Francis explained, “Arthur is my best friend, he does not deserve this misery.”

“How long have you known him?” Matthew asked.

“We met as home-stay partners when we were fifteen, our high schools had an exchange program, so he lived with my family and I in France for six months, and I lived with him and his family in England. We’ve been close ever since.” Francis explained. That answers Alfred’s question as to how Arthur knows French, and why he and Francis act so damn close, “We’re both close with each other’s families, we have a joke that I am his mother’s favourite son: and he is one of five boys.”

“That is actually really sweet,” Gilbert admitted.

“So, it’s so painful to see him like this. Some nights, he will come into my room and ask to sleep with me in my bed because he hears noises and is terrified of the stalker picking his lock!” Francis explained, which only intensified the jealous fire within Alfred, enough that Alfred seriously considered round-house kicking the Frenchman— “What’s worse is that sometimes he wakes up in the middle of the night thinking the stalker is in his room.”

Alfred had to hold himself back from actually screaming-- Arthur, in _his_ bed!? Unacceptable! NO! NO! What the hell!? Alfred was seething on the inside as his outer image remained calm, and it was only becoming more and more difficult by the second. Alfred swore to God and on his love for Arthur, _if Francis did something to him--_

 _“I heard him screaming last week,"_  Gilbert admitted, sighing as Francis nodded, remembering the event himself. Only now had Alfred really come to understand how dangerous it was for Arthur to be living in the same building as these people, where Alfred can't protect him.

“Shit, are you serious?” Matthew asked.

“Yeah, my room is down the hall from him, I’m near the staircase,” Gilbert explained, “It’s only happened once: but his scream was loud enough to reach me, I was still awake, so I bolted out of my room and nearly broke his door down! But Arthur quickly answered the door and said he was fine. He wasn't fine, I had never seen a guy look so _not fine_ in my entire life...”

“That is terrifying!” Matthew gasped.

“Arthur says he’s fine, but he doesn’t have anything to back that up,” Gilbert admitted. 

At this admission, the group fell into silence, all probably remembering how _'not fine'_ Arthur has been over the past few weeks. 

“Well… This got dark real fast…” Alfred muttered, “But hey, I promised Arthur that if anyone tries to come near him, I’ll kick their ass.”

“I’ve made that promise too…” Gilbert muttered, which only pissed Alfred off more. Gilbert was already a dangerous threat in Alfreds mind, and all he was doing was making it worse by pretending to be some kind of cool body guard for Arthur! This conversation was as only showing Alfred how much he couldn't trust these people, they're all sabotaging him under the guise of caring about Arthur. He couldn't trust anyone, not even Matthew.

“Hey!” Lovino called as he and Antonio entered the common area.

“Great, now we just need to wait for Arthur,” Matthew pointed out, before frowning, “Wait, did Ivan say he was coming?”

“I don’t think so,” Alfred pointed out quietly, hoping to plant a seed of doubt. 

“I don’t think so either,” Lovino added, sighing, “I saw him on my way out of the library, I tried to talk to him but he didn’t even look at me. I don’t think he wants to come.”

“ _Oh_ …” Francis murmured, probably feeling guilt over how he acted on Wednesday night, which only made Alfred’s case even stronger, and ease his anxiety over Ivan speaking to the others about what he said.

 _“Hey everyone…_ ” Arthur murmured, finally emerging into the common area, but unlike everyone else, he wasn’t dressed to go out because his hair was still wet from the shower, and he was dressed in a baggy grey sweater and black pants with no shoes. _Oh my God, he looks like he's ready to take a nap! So cute!_

“Arthur, are you coming tonight?” Antonio asked.

“I’ll be fine here, I’m not feeling so good…” Arthur murmured, crossing his arms over his stomach as he stared at the floor, “I’ll just stay here and watch a movie or something.”

“But… Arthur, you said you were excited about seeing this place,” Gilbert sighed, heartbreak staining his face. “Is it because of— “

“Look, I can’t go, _ok?”_ Arthur interrupted, becoming defensive, “Don’t let me hold you guys back, go have a good time.”

That is where Alfred saw his opportunity, so he snatched it as fast as he could, he smiled at Arthur confidently as he said, “Yeah, we’ll be fine here. I’ll stay back too.”  
Alfred’s statement caught the attention of everyone in the group, and luckily for Alfred: they seemed fine with the idea, Matthew even seemed proud of Alfred for sacrificing a night out. Little did he know, Alfred has already sacrificed much more for some time alone with the Englishman. Arthur frowned with confusion, Alfred made eye contact with Francis, nodding slightly in a way to say _‘you can trust me’._

Luckily for him, it worked as Francis shrugged, “I… Guess... Are you sure you don’t want us to all stay, Arthur?”

“No, it’s ok!” Arthur replied, smiling weakly as his demeanour changed completely, finally showing off his confidence with a bright smile. Alfred’s heart raced; Arthur is actually happy to be spending time with Alfred! “Please, go and have a good time and come home piss drunk so I can laugh at all of you.”

And with that, the rest of the group reluctantly left, and it appeared as though Alfred and Arthur had the common area to themselves, so Alfred and Arthur sat down on the couch in front of the large TV.

“Thank you for staying with me,” Arthur admitted as he sat on the other side of the short couch, crossing his legs.

“No problem, plus, I’m more in the mood to do something relaxing,” Alfred explained, smiling as sweetly as he could at Arthur, still high from the happy feeling that Arthur gave him. Alfred took a deep breath as he relaxed on the couch, even stretching his arm out over the head; just in case if Arthur wanted to come under his arm.

“Now, let’s see what’s on tonight, hopefully there’s a movie,” Arthur murmured as he took the remote and started looking through the channels, “I think I saw ads for Jurassic Park recently, that’d be good if that was playing.”

God… Alfred could just listen to Arthur talk forever, everything from the way his pitch changed according to his charming accent, to how his lips moved completely enchanted Alfred. Alfred couldn’t help but bite his lip and lay against the couch as he watched Arthur speak, wondering what else those lips could do…

But then he remembered, he’d look like a jerk if he didn’t engage, so he chimed in with, “Anything’d be good.”

“Oh! I found Jurassic Park!” Arthur chirped, jumping a little as he fell back into the couch, getting comfortable in a way that made Alfred want to scream—It was already taking all of his energy for Alfred to not pounce on him right then. “I love these!”

“Aww, same here,” Alfred chuckled, “Are you sure you don’t want dinner or something, I could order some food?”

“I’m good, thank you, but you’re welcome to anything in the fridge, if you’re hungry,” Arthur replied.

“So, why didn’t you want to go out tonight?” Alfred asked, smiling softly when he saw the way Arthur looked into his eyes.

“Just tired…” Arthur admitted, “I don’t think I have the energy for a night out…”

“Bad sleep?” Alfred asked.

“Yeah…” Arthur replied, lifting his legs from the floor so he could curl into a ball in the corner of the couch, which encouraged Alfred to move in closer.

“Another dream?” Alfred asked.

“Not exactly, more lack thereof,” Arthur admitted, “I haven’t really been right since Wednesday….”

“Yeah, Francis mentioned that,” Alfred pointed out, “Like, how the hell could’ve a letter got in Ivan’s bag?”

“I don’t know how many people in the group genuinely believe him…” Arthur sighed, “So many different things have been whispered into my ear, I don’t know what I think anymore.”

“Well, he’s ditched the group tonight, it looks like,” Alfred pointed out.

“I just feel awful…” Arthur explained, curling into a ball, “I don’t really think that Ivan is capable of writing those letters, but every time I look at him I remember feeling so terrified. For the two hours before Francis could get me calm enough to explain; my stalker had a face… I could see everything happening to me, but this time the attacker had a face, a name and a voice… It all became too real…”

Seeing that Arthur had become visibly upset, Alfred shuffled closer and put his arm around Arthur, whispering, “Hey, it’ll be ok, no one’s gonna hurt you.”

“I don’t know that, and neither do you,” Arthur hissed, at first fighting Alfred’s embrace, before accepting it following some persistence from Alfred. “Whoever this guy is, he targeted Ivan for a reason.”

“He was spending a lot of time with you, do you know if he liked you?” Alfred asked, internally screaming, _Arthur is under his arm!!_ Alfred was freaking out, his heart was racing, his chest was tight and he almost couldn't control his smile, let alone his urge to grab Arthur completely. Arthur was so warm, and fit so well in this position, it was like he was made for it, _like it was fate..._

“Francis did make a few open remarks of how he followed me like a puppy, but I honestly, there was nothing there other than friendship,” Arthur explained as Alfred encouraged Arthur to rest his head on Alfred’s shoulder. And as Arthur yawned from the obvious fatigue, he obliged. “But it’s the fact that he was even a target, and all he did was help me. He made me forget that all of this was happening...”

 _“I can too,_ ” Alfred muttered. His eyes widened as he looked at Arthur, amazed of how warm Arthur’s head felt as it rested on his shoulder. Alfred stared into the blonde roots of his soft hair, amazed over how good he smelt. Alfred could have stayed like this forever, feeling the warmth of Arthur’s body as the Englishman sat so close to him; close enough for Alfred to hear every soft breath he made. Alfred was sure that Arthur could hear the American’s heartbeat as he snuggled into Arthur’s shoulder, to which Alfred just couldn’t help but smile. It was reminding him that all of his effort was worth it…

“But I don’t want anyone else to be targeted like he was, I could see the way he looked: Ivan was shaken and put off of our friendship because of this! And now it looks like he’s left the group because of it! And I know we’re the only people he hung out with!” Arthur explained, lifting himself from Alfred to bury his head in his hands. Alfred frowned, tempted to pull Arthur back, but he quickly composed himself and made sure that the ugly look in his eyes disappeared, “This guy is trying so hard to isolate me, he’s hurting others.”

 _Not isolate you, my doll, I just wanna keep you—_ Alfred thought _._

“Mm,” Alfred muttered, “He must really want you.”

“ _Yes…_ ” Arthur sighed as he, to Alfred’ delight, returned to Alfred’s shoulder, “I just constantly feel so anxious.”

“But, I think you’re still so strong,” Alfred admitted, “That guy has sent some awful letters, but you keep your head up and don’t let them knock you down. You’re so strong and it’s admirable… On top of this, you’re smart and you’re not going to let yourself be a victim.” – just as long as Arthur keeps picturing Ivan as the writer of the bad letters. From now on, everything Alfred writes something to Arthur, he aimed to make him feel nice. It made perfect sense in Alfred’s mind: blame all the bad on Ivan, and take credit for the good. He’ll be Arthur’s knight in shining armour.

Hell… He’ll tell Arthur that he spoke to Ivan and told him to stop writing the bad letters to Arthur, so now there’s only one writer left: the one who loves him! But… Alfred had to wonder whether it was worth the risk… But then again, Arthur is worth any risk.  
Alfred’s heart fluttered when he saw Arthur smile, before he yawned and returned his head to Alfred’s shoulder, “Thank you, Alfred…”

“Hey, if you ever need me, don’t hesitate to ask, ok?” Alfred asked, smiling as he watched Arthur nod.

Before Alfred knew it, he had spent an hour, on and off, watching Arthur, and by the end of the movie, the Englishman had fallen asleep on the other side of the couch, using the pillow to support his head against the arm rest. This was the second time that Alfred ended up watching Arthur sleep, and it was even better than before. It meant that Arthur was comfortable enough with him! Francis spoke about how Arthur suffered from insomnia, and wanted to sleep with him: _WELL_ _LOOK_ _WHAT’S_ _HAPPENED_ _HERE, YOU FRENCH BITCH!!_  Arthur has practically passed out on the couch because he was comforted by Alfred’s presence and promise of protection. He was already on the way to being Arthur’s hero, and Arthur didn’t even know that he loved him yet!

Alfred would have jumped for joy, but that would have disturbed Arthur, so Alfred celebrated in his own way, by adding more photos to his already impressive collection. He had already saved every photo on Arthur’s Instagram, his Facebook (photos of him at least), on top of the enormous number of sneaky photos he’s taken of him throughout their time together. This position here was the jackpot, as Alfred could easily make it look like he and Arthur had fallen asleep together. He looked so peaceful, Alfred had to move so carefully to avoid waking him as he stretched his arm out to get photos at different angles. How was Alfred not going to take advantage of the situation? It would have been like leaving a pile of crack on a table in front of an unapologetic addict: Alfred just couldn't help himself.

Finally satisfied with the photos he took, Alfred relaxed back next to Arthur and looked through the new editions to his collection. With a wide smile on his lips and a loved-up look in his eyes, Alfred laid against the couch and stared down at Arthur, wondering whether he would fit if he tried to lay next to him and give him a cuddle… Surely he’d appreciate that, since he trusted Alfred enough to fall asleep next to him.  
But the noise of people entering the common area disrupted him, and woke up Arthur.

 _“Where’s Arthur?!”_ Gilbert asked as he wobbled into the common room, being followed by an amused Matthew, who had gone bright red in the face as a side-effect from alcohol. _"Arthur! Arthur!"_  Alfred smiled at first, thinking this was going to be funny, but then the smile faded fast when Gilbert fell to his knees in front of Arthur and rested his hands on the tired Englishman’s knees.

“Gilbert—w-what?” Arthur stuttered as he rubbed his eyes.

“What’s happening to you is so, so unfair! Like _FUCK!_ It makes my blood boil just to t-think about it, you know,” Gilbert started, slurring as his hands fastened on Arthur’s knees, and the American sitting beside them couldn’t take his eyes off it. Gilbert was starting to cross the line…

“Oh, thanks Gilbert, how much did you have to drink?” Arthur chuckled, seeing this as a game. 

“A _liiiiittle_ bit too much,” Gilbert chuckled, before tensing his arms to return to focus on what he wanted to say, “BUT—I want, I want you to know that if anyone tries to hurt you, I’ll kick their fucking ass!”

Once again, an empty threat; if he actually meant that, he would have fought Ivan. Besides, as if he’d be able to take down Alfred... Alfred doubted that the scrawny guy would get a good hit on a guy like Alfred! He's the hero here! 

“I know, I know, don’t worry—”

 _“I don’t think you do!_ I don’t think you know! And I WILL worry, vielen danke!” Gilbert continued, bringing himself up to stare into Arthur’s eyes, locking them into an intense stare, the kind that made Alfred want to snap. “That night you screamed and I nearly broke your door down, I—I genuinely thought you were being attacked – _I thought you were going to die…_ ”

Gilberts words seemed to hit Arthur hard, as the Englishman’s lip started to tremble and his cheeks reddened, “ _Gilbert_ …”  
OH COME ON! – Alfred internally snapped, Arthur really can’t be falling for that bullshit! Alfred wanted to scream when he saw Arthur place his hands on top of Gilbert's and stare into his eyes as the German pulled himself up, as though he was about to kiss him. 

“You say you’re fine, but your eyes say something completely different. I know you’ve been talking about it more and you’re trying your best, but please, _pleeeease_ , let us help you more… You have a fucking stalker, Arthur! He could be dangerous! Really fucking dangerous and crazy! You can’t let him wiiiin!” Gilbert explained as his slurring got worse, but he still got the point across, which was concerning Alfred the most. “You mean the fucking world to me, Arthur, and that means a lot, cause we haven't known each other for that long! You're a good-gute-good friend to me! When I was homesick and sad! You convinced me to not withdraw from my exchange during my first month here, because you told me that this an experience that I won’t get back. What’s the worth in giving up after coming this far? Take advantage of the time you have.” At this point, Arthur was speechless, and Alfred was seething; where the fuck is he going with this? “And so, it pisses me off so much when I see this jerk-faced-letter-writing-motherfucker ruining yours.”

“I’m—”

“Don’t say you’re handling it! _It’s getting worse_!” Gilbert interrupted, “You’re so important to all of us, and we only want to find another way to help you… Francis is worried sick, especially. You have no idea how much Francis is fucking panicking.”

Arthur sighed, tearing up a little, “I know… I do know, and I'm sorry... I just don’t know what else to do… I’ve spoken to the Sheriff twice, I catch up with Afonso weekly—I don’t know what else to do!”

“Don’t give up is one thing,” Gilbert whispered, before rising up to plant a kiss on Arthur’s forehead.

 _ALRIGHT, THAT’S IT!_  He’s definitely over that line now! _He’s got to go!_ Alfred just needs to think of how, and how to do it quickly. That kind of talk is dangerous for Alfred. How dare he _touch_ him like that!! Alfred will make Gilbert pay for that and pay for making Arthur cry!! He needs to be put back in his place, and _fast!!_

“ _Whoo_ , someone’s had a bit too much soju!” Matthew chuckled as he helped Gilbert rise to his feet, who made it a struggle. “Come on, let’s get you back to your room!”

“Gut, gut,” Gilbert chuckled as he happily wrapped his arm around Matthew, and the two hapless drunks made their way out of the common area, “Room 97! Do you remember how to say that in German?!”

“... Siebenundneunzig!” Matthew replied.

 _"CORRECT!_ Heyy…” Gilbert chuckled, “you and I are sill good, right?”

“The fuck is that supposed to mean?” Matthew chuckled right as he and Gilbert left the space, returning Arthur to their peace and quiet, which had been completely ruined...

Alfred turned to Arthur as soon as they were out of earshot, to see that Arthur was staring at the floor. “You ok?”

“Yeah…” Arthur muttered, before raising from his seat, “I think I’m going to make some tea and then go to bed. Do you want one?”

“I’m fine, thanks. I’ll just wait until Matt comes back down and we'll go home,” Alfred explained as he put on a smile while following Arthur to the kitchen section of the common area. But when Arthur’s had his back to him, Alfred’s face became the polar opposite to the happy guy he was pretending to be.

He was pissed, and all of that anger was now directed at Gilbert. Alfred knew now that the German was only going to get worse if he lets this continue. More cocky, more bold-- he could go for a kiss on the lips next time for all Alfred knows! He’s not only getting close to Arthur, but he’s going to build a defiant attitude within Arthur, which will do nothing but hurt them! He has to stop this, and fast!!


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A report released by the Suzi Lamplugh Trust says only around 43% of the 26% victims of stalking who reported to the police found the response to be not very helpful or not helpful at all. Without increased confidence in a victim support system, many cases of stalking will continue to go unreported, perhaps worsening the situation for victims.

Alfred’s visit was only supposed to be quick.   
He should have known better, only Arthur could captivate Alfred's heart like this. 

Alfred woke up early, earlier than Matthew, and he quietly got dressed and drove to campus, intending to deliver a letter and a box of chocolate pop-tarts to Arthur’s door, he didn't even bother to take a backpack, his pockets were enough, and as far as he knew; he wasn't going to stick around, Lord only knew then what was in store for Alfred when he got to his loves door. He arrived at campus as the sun was rising, and so the air was bitter and cold—cold enough for Alfred to shiver in his warm jacket. He wasn’t surprised, the snow was well on its way because it was late October. Alfred knew that he’d have to start wearing snow-clothes probably next week.

Alfred didn’t even bother taking off his hood as he walked through the international dorms, no one was awake yet and he was only going to be fast. Without taking his eyes away from his path and goal, Alfred made it to Arthur’s bedroom door with virtually no detection, other than a close call with some students who were heading to the dormitory’s gym, but they didn’t see Alfred. Alfred was a ghost and he was going to disappear like one as soon as he dropped his gifts to Arthurs door. 

Alfred could feel the warmth of the sunrise on his back that came in through the windows as he set down the thirty-seventh letter and gift against Arthur’s door, but as he did he heard something that made him pause. Something that sounded like… _strumming…?_  
Alfred frowned as he leaned closer into Arthur’s door, only to crack a wide smile when he realised the noise was actually coming from inside Arthur’s room! Arthur was awake and in there, and Alfred could hear him! Alfred stood up and quietly positioned himself against the door, desperate to hear what Arthur was doing in there.

Alfred then realised that he was listening to the strumming of a guitar, and Alfred couldn’t help but sigh happily as he melted against the door, listening to the soothing sound of Arthur’s fingers playing with the strings.   
It was even cute when Arthur messed up and cursed… He was still learning, but he still sounded perfect to Alfred.

 _“Ok… Ok…”_ Arthur said, just barely soft enough for Alfred to hear through the thin wood of the door, making Alfred gasp, it really was Arthur, Alfred's angel! Alfred couldn't stop smiling as he ran his hand against the wood of Arthurs door. Then Arthur started to play the guitar again, starting from the beginning of a song that Alfred didn’t recognise.  
This was so perfect, Alfred did see a guitar in Arthur’s room the first time he was in there, but he has never heard him play it before!  
And then, right when Alfred thought he couldn’t love it anymore, he heard Arthur suck in a deep breath.

 _“He said ‘Hey, Sister. It's really, really nice to meet cha’.’ I just met this 5-foot-7 guy who's just my type. I like the way he's speaking; his confidence is peaking.”_  
Alfred nearly screamed when he realised that Arthur was singing, and he could sing really well! Alfred was vibrating where he stood, thanking God for this blessing, for Arthur and this opportunity to hear him sing! Arthur’s soothing voice sent a shiver down Alfred’s spine, and how his accent sounded made Alfred’s knees weak…  
_“Don't like his baggy jeans but I'mma like what's underneath them. And no, I ain't been to MIA_  
_I heard that Cali never rains and New York's heart awaits. First let's see the west end._  
_I'll show you to my brethren. I'm liking this American boy, American boy…”_

Alfred sucked in a sharp breath, covering his mouth this his hand in the process, not only to cover the noise, but to hide the smile he carried. _American boy!_ Arthur is singing American boy! Alfred is an American boy!! Instantly Alfred started to tremble, overwhelmed by the fantasy of Arthur singing about him! What an amazing connection, Arthur had to be singing about him! Alfred was so happy, he could cry!! 

 _“Take me on a trip, I'd like to go someday. Take me to New York, I'd love to see LA. I really want to come kick it with you. You'll be my American boy, American boy…”_ Arthur sang, with the last note sending a shiver through Alfred’s body, that was strong enough to nearly bring Alfred to his knees and he had to hold on to the door to avoid falling. It was amazing, a rush of joy, adrenaline and lust. Caught in Arthur’s web, Alfred fastened himself to Arthur’s door and made a vow that someday Arthur will sing to him…

Alfred could picture it… He closed his eyes and saw him and Arthur sitting in front of a fire place, surrounded by blankets and hot cocoa. Arthur would look at Alfred as he sung and strummed the guitar. God… It would be so beautiful and their life would be perfect… Alfred would treat him like a fucking King... Alfred would give him anything he wanted in exchange for his devoted love.   
On top of that, if Arthur wanted it: Alfred would show him all fifty states…

 _“Would you be my love, my love? Would you be mine…?”_ Arthur sang, his voice tuning in a way that made Alfred feel hot under the cover. So much so, that he had to fight the temptation to break into Arthur’s room.  
Oh Lord, Alfred could just break down the door and take Arthur right there,  _yes, he's Arthur's, Alfred would die to be Arthur's love!!_

 _“Would you be my love, my love? Would you be mine? Could you be my love, my love?”_ Arthur sang as Alfred emotionally mouthed the words along with him, picturing them together in paradise. 

 _Yes, Arthur, yes, I would, please give me that chance, I’d be yours forever…_ \-- Alfred thought, sighing as he ran his hand over the wood of Arthur’s bedroom door. He could almost feel his sweetheart’s energy radiating from inside the bedroom, and it was so tempting for Alfred, _so dangerously tempting…_ Just imagining what he could do to Arthur if he was in there with him. 

 _“Ooh, would you be my American boy, American boy?”_  
That last note had Alfred clinging to the door to stop himself from falling over, Arthur sounded so good, Alfred couldn’t help himself. He was so in love, he couldn’t contain it, he dug his nails into the door of Arthur’s bedroom. He was sure that he was going to leave a mark as he slowly raked the door, not concerned about the pain.

He will be Arthur's American Boy...

He continued to listen to Arthur, he listened to Arthur repeat the song, attempt and fail at playing the guitar while doing Kanye’s verse of the song, and how Arthur would just randomly pick a verse and start there. Alfred was caught in a spell as listening to Arthur’s singing voice had the effect of a siren, Alfred was smiling like a drunk man as he listened to Arthur and fell into his own little world.

He wanted Arthur, he wanted Arthur right then, so badly… He wanted him so badly, it hurt. It hurt that Alfred couldn’t open the door and take what he wanted right then. Alfred could only imagine what fantasy he could live-out in Arthur’s bedroom... He had thoughts good enough to make him drool... 

 _“HEY!!!”_ A voice roared, snapping Alfred out of Arthur’s fantasy, _“WHAT THE FUCK?!”_

 _Shit!!_ Alfred nearly screamed when he heard the noise of someone running at him from behind, and so, Alfred ran.

And when he ran, he heard the guy yell again, and Alfred's heart sank when he realised who it was, _“GET BACK HERE!! ASSHOLE!!! KIKU, HELP ME CHASE HIM!!”_ Gilbert roared, as Alfred could hear Gilbert run behind him, heaving with anger, he was getting so close, Alfred could hear the German’s shoes hit the floor. 

Alfred internally panicked as he ran to the staircase, jumping down to get a few stairs of length away from Gilbert, Alfred held onto the hood of his jacket in order to keep his identity secret. He was so scared, he felt like he was about to pass out. 

 _“GET BACK HERE YOU FUCKING BASTARD!!!”_ Gilbert roared. _“SOMEBODY, STOP HIM!! STALKER!! STALKER!!!”_

Alfred raced down the staircase before turning out into the hallway, determined to get to the door, but he knew then that he wouldn’t be safe! And the pavement will be slippery! If Gilbert catches up to him, he would be exposed and he could consider his fantasy over! They’ll make Arthur hate him!  
But, the fear and determination kept Alfred running despite the burning of his legs, he was determined to not get caught, determined to not let his fantasy be over. He was not going to let Gilbert ruin this!!

_“FUCKING DICK—BASTARD!! LEAVE ARTHUR ALONE YOU FUCKING FREAK! I’M GOING TO KILL YOU! LEAVE ARTHUR ALONE!!!”_

Perhaps Gilbert will actually carry out his promise of violence, and now Alfred was at the point where he was honestly considering whether Gilbert could kick his ass. For once, Alfred genuinely feared that he was going to get caught and that Arthur was going to be taken away from him. He struggled to keep going, but he pushed himself harder, knowing that he could run faster than Gilbert, his legs were longer and he was more athletic, but Alfred was still so scared, he could imagine just how close Gilbert was to grabbing him. 

 _“GET BACK HERE!!”_ Gilbert roared, but Alfred was relieved to hear the exhaustion in his voice as Alfred ran past the front desk and out the front door. There was no way he was going to be able to run across the frosty footpath, so instead, Alfred jumped into a group of bushes that lined the concrete wall that bordered the entrance to the International dorms. Lying on the ground as quietly as he could, Alfred listened to Gilbert run past.

“Gilbert! Wait! It’s slippery!” His Japanese friend cried as he followed, not far behind.

Alfred laid on the tanbark that covered the soil, hidden deep within the bushes with his hands covering his mouth the mask the noise of his hyperventilating. The American could not stop his trembling as his heart-rate went through the roof – that was so close, so close that Alfred nearly cried as he imagined what would have happened if Gilbert was a little bit faster… He would have lost Arthur, without a doubt: his darling would have been turned against him, and Gilbert would have Arthur all to himself! That would have been a fate worse than death!

Alfred wanted to start screaming, he wanted to even cry, that was the closest he has ever come to being exposed, and the experience left him shaken and traumatised.  
However, it wasn’t the fear of being caught that scared Alfred, it was the fear of losing Arthur that caused him this pain. The thought of Arthur learning of his existence before Alfred was ready terrified him, he knew that Arthur was still scared of the stalker, even with Ivan out of the way. Alfred must butter-Arthur-up first and then go in for the kill: when no one else can stand in his way. No one like Gilbert, who's becoming more and more dangerous for Alfred as every day passes. 

But then again, Alfred was confident that in the end, he will be Arthur’s American boy, no matter what… Alfred can make Arthur love him, and he will stop at nothing.

Alfred did not know how long he had been lying there before he heard Gilbert and his friend walking back, and he could hear what the loud German was saying as they made their way back towards the international dormitories.

“I can’t believe I let him get away!” Gilbert growled, “I should have snuck up on him!”

“Hey, it’s ok! At least you’ve seen him!” His friend replied.

“Did you see him?! He was listening in through Arthur’s door, what if he was going to break in!? I have to warn Arthur that he's standing there, imagine what would have happened if Arthur opened the door to go to the bathroom!!” Gilbert explained, once again assuming the worst of Alfred, like he’s a thoughtless creep! “That’s it, I’m coming back from gym early from now on, just in case if he tries that again! I swear to God, I will get that guy, and I will make him pay for what he’s doing to Arthur!”

That sentence made Alfred frown, _HE’S_ going to make _ALFRED_ pay?! For what, trying to love Arthur!? Yes, he has made a few mistakes, but at least Alfred isn’t a part of the damn conspiracy to keep Arthur away from him! Gilbert's the one causing problems, if he just left Alfred and Arthur in peace and stopped trying to shove his nose in other peoples business, they would be fine!! Alfred grumbled as he slowly shifted to his knees, no longer able to hear what Gilbert was saying; but Alfred would not be surprised if Gilbert was still pretending to be Arthur’s knight in shining armour.

Alfred can already imaging Gilbert going to Arthur’s room, and over-exaggerating how close he got to catching the man Arthur feared. He’d describe Alfred like he was some kind of monster, and then he will gloat and soak in the glory of being Arthur’s hero! The thought of it alone made Alfred’s blood-boil: HE is meant to be Arthur’s hero!

Gilbert wants to keep Arthur away from him… Gilbert is going to take Arthur away, Gilbert is going to prevent Arthur from receiving Alfred’s letters! He’s going to tear them apart if Alfred doesn’t put a stop to him.  
Alfred was going to get rid of Gilbert just like how he got rid of Ivan, but this time, it will be more than personal, Alfred was not only out to get rid of Gilbert, but get revenge…

And so, after nearly twenty minutes of sitting in the bush shaking, Alfred removed his jacket and left the bushes when the area became quiet. He then walked back from the International dorms to the car park.

When the American returned home, he quickly and quietly got back into his pyjamas, hid the clothes that Gilbert saw him in and returned to his bed, knowing that he has approximately half-an-hour until his usual alarm goes off. Alfred held onto his pillow tightly, once again imaging that it was Arthur, he snuggled into it and gave it little kisses as he promised that everything was going to be ok…

 _“I’ll take you on a trip and we could go someday~ I’ll take you to New York and let you see LA, I really want to kick it with you, I’ll be your American boy…”_ Alfred softly sang, closing his eyes as he tightened his grip on the pillow. He could see it, he could see himself singing a parody of that song to Arthur and kissing him softly between every verse…Maybe even a little pecking between each word. He'd hold Arthur like he's the most precious thing in the entire world. 

But despite the happiness in his mind, Alfred was internally fighting off the mental image of Gilbert, or Francis, or Afonso taking Arthur away from him! There were only three of them left… three of them to get rid of and then Alfred will have Arthur all to himself!

\------

For the second time that day, Alfred returned to the international dorms, except, this time he was dressed differently, and came with Matthew by his side. He wasn't as shaken by his experience with Gilbert any more, but he knew that there was no way he was going to forget this, or let Gilbert get away with it. 

“I’ve noticed that you’re spending a lot of more time in your room, is everything ok?” Matthew asked as he and Alfred walked up the stairs to Arthur’s level of the international dorms, where the group had arranged to meet with them for breakfast.

“I’m fine, I’ve just got a lot of homework to do,” Alfred replied.

“You know… we haven’t really done something together for a while… Maybe before we go back to Ohio we can order pizza, drink some beer and play video games for one night. Just us,” Matthew suggested, smiling at Alfred sweetly.

Alfred couldn’t help but smile, it was nice to be reminded that Matthew will always be there for him, even if he can’t admit his secret obsession with their English friend, “Yeah, that’d be cool. When are we going to Ohio?”

“Moms birthday, Halloween weekend, remember?”

“Aw, shit! Yeah!” Alfred gasped, he completely forgot about Catherine’s birthday, and that it meant that Alfred will be in another state for the spooky holiday! But then again… Catherine is one of the few people that Alfred would be willing to sacrifice some time with Arthur for. Besides… He can spend the entire time he’s there plotting how to get rid of Gilbert. “And we’re still 68% through in Cup-Head!”

“Yes!” Matthew chuckled, his smile widening.

Alfred had to admit, he was thankful to have Matthew; Matthew always could bring Alfred back down to earth when times get tough, and times like this were no exception. Alfred was getting stressed, stressed over Arthur, stressed over assignments and stressed over his rivals. There were so many people who were out to ruin Alfred, but not Matthew…  
Hell, Alfred had already decided that Matthew was going to be his best man at his and Arthur's wedding. 

“Alfred! Matthew!” Francis yelled as soon as he saw Alfred and Matthew enter the common area. Instantly, Matthew gasped when he saw Gilbert and Arthur on the couch, surrounded by the other members of the group. Arthur’s head was in his hands, and Gilbert had his arm around Arthur’s shoulder, holding him closely, he looked distraught and it was obvious that something had happened. Alfred wasn’t surprised that the German was milking this, Alfred could feel his jealous rage burn as he thought of all the things he wanted to do… But yet, Alfred had to pretend to be as concerned as his brother, and follow him as he rushed over to the group…

Gilbert looked up at Alfred and Matthew, his eyes wide with concern as he started to explain, “I chased Arthur’s stalker out of the building today!”

 _“What?!”_ Matthew gasped, before placing his hand on Arthur’s shoulder, “Oh my God, are you both OK?”

“He was at my door, listening…” Arthur murmured so quietly, Alfred barely heard it.

“How close did you get to catching him?” Alfred asked, looking at Gilbert as Matthew continued to comfort Arthur.

 _“I was so close,”_ Gilbert explained, positioning his hands a few inches apart, in an attempt to show Alfred how close Gilbert got to catching him. While Alfred believed that Gilbert was exaggerating, he couldn’t help but feel a little bit nervous, what if Gilbert actually was that close to catching him...?

“So, what time did you see him?” Antonio asked.

“I left to go to the gym downstairs at six-thirty and no one was there, then I came back at seven-thirty and he was there leaning with his ear against Arthur’s door and the letter and box of fucking pop-tarts were at his feet! I am so pissed, I should have snuck up on him and surprised him! But instead I yelled, and he started to run!” Gilbert hissed before he looked down at Arthur, “I’m so sorry, I should have caught him! I’m so mad at myself!”

“It’s not your fault, thank you for trying,” Arthur murmured as he smiled up at Gilbert, but Alfred could still see the worry in Arthur’s glistening eyes—even when they were looking at another man, Alfred’s heart still skipped a beat, and his cheeks heated up.

“It’ll be ok, we’ll get him next time,” Matthew promised.

“Did you see what he looked like?” Lovino asked, holding his bowl of cereal in one hand and his spoon in another.

“Well… He had a coat on and the hood up, he’s not stupid; he knows what he’s doing is wrong,” Gilbert admitted, “But I saw his hands, he’s a white guy.”

 _“Oh Gee, that helps,”_ Lovino scoffed.

“It’s something!” Gilbert replied.

“Could it have been Ivan?” Alfred asked, overjoyed to see the colour drain from Gilberts face as he considered the possibility. “You didn’t see the guy’s face, right? Was he tall? Fit? A fast runner?”

“Yes…” Gilbert muttered, “But it couldn’t have been Ivan!”  
The way Gilbert’s voice shook slightly as he stated that made Alfred want to smile, knowing that he’s planted yet another seed of doubt in the groups mentality.

“Arthur, have you had breakfast?” Lovino asked.

“No…” Arthur replied, “I’m good, thank you.”

“No, you skipped dinner last night too, I haven’t seen you eat for days! I’m Italian, I can sense when someone needs to be fed! I’m making you a fancy omelette, and you’re going to like it!” Lovino hissed as he made his way back to the kitchen.

“Arthur…” Francis whimpered, “What were you doing this morning?”

“I woke up at five am, and couldn’t get back to sleep, so I picked a song on my playlist and decided to learn it on guitar,” Arthur explained. “He was probably delivering his letter and stayed because he heard me.” And then Arthur’s eyes widened, “What if that’s not the only time he’s done that… Oh my God, what if he’s always there, _listening?!”_

 _“Hey, shhhh,”_ Gilbert cooed, pulling Arthur in to hold him tightly, “Don’t think about it, he wouldn’t: I would have seen him earlier, I promise.”

Alfred’s eyes narrowed as he watched Arthur press his face into Gilbert’s shoulder, like he was trying to hide from something. This was making Alfred sick… It enraged him to watch Arthur receive comfort from Gilbert – he wanted to be the one who’s shoulder Arthur rested on! He wanted to be the one with his arm around Arthur and he wanted to be the one who chased people away from Arthur… The way Gilbert looked down at Arthur made Alfred want to scream, and it was only made worse by the fact that people didn’t see anything wrong with it. Gilbert and Matthew looked at each other and shared worried glares, which only made Alfred feel even worse: he’s getting under Matthew’s skin too!

“I’m fine, I’m fine. Just a bit shaken,” Arthur admitted as he pulled himself out of Gilbert’s tight grip, “I’m just getting tired of this. He even scratched the paint on my fucking door!”

“Oh good God!” Antonio gasped, bringing his hands to his face, “Please tell me that you’re going to go to the police again!”

 _“And then what!?_ They’ll add it to the file and I’ll be left on my own again!” Arthur snapped as he gripped on tightly to his hair, his eyes filling with tears as the pitch in his voice heightened with the stress, “They can’t do shit unless he actually threatens me, or makes himself known! And tries to hurt me! I don't even know what I want them to do!! The sick thing is, I can’t tell him to stop because I have no way to communicate with him! It’s him who’s hunting me! I'm trapped! I've spent some nights in different rooms, but even then I don't feel safe!”

While Alfred hated the sight of Arthur in pain, he stood firmly by his belief that he was doing what needed to be done. Letters were the only way he could tell Arthur how he really felt and release his tension, otherwise it would build up inside of him and he’d lash out… He was struggling to not lash out already, especially over the fact that Gilbert still had an arm firmly locked around Arthur's shoulders.  
Perhaps he can address the way Arthur is thinking in his letters, because he was not going to stop: no matter how much Arthur complained about it. Alfred loved writing the letters and he loved giving them to Arthur. Alfred only saw Arthur’s negative reactions as hurdles for him to leap over, and Alfred knew that if he kept going, someday he will receive his reward. Arthur will be his in the end, no matter what happens.

No one in the group knew what to say, the entire group fell into silence as Arthur rubbed his face. The entire area of the common room that the group stood in fell into silence, and only the noise of other students in the area echoed around them. Francis was the first to break, he slid onto the couch and in front of Arthur and took him in for a big hug, whispering words in French to him, words that Alfred couldn’t decipher.

 _Great…_ Like Alfred didn’t have enough men to worry about… Francis had to remind Alfred that he was still a very present threat to his happy ending with Arthur. He’d have to get rid of him too… But Gilbert was his main focus, Francis was just lucky that Gilbert bought him more time.

“Please, please, everyone just change the subject!” Arthur sighed as Francis finally let him go. “What is everyone doing for Halloween?!”

“Arthur…” Antonio murmured.

 _“Please!_ I just want to not have this in my mind all day, I am about to go crazy!” Arthur exclaimed, “I just want to feel normal again! Now tell me, it’s October twenty-fifth, what are the plans for Halloween?”

“Alfred and I have to go back to Ohio that weekend, it’s our mom’s birthday,” Matthew explained, “So, we can’t go to any parities.”

“Aww…” Arthur sighed.

“Hey, you’ll love this,” Gilbert said, smiling, “Francis, Antonio and I found a party city store and we saw costumes that were FBI officers, but instead it was FBII! So, that’s what the three of us are doing.”

“Oh my God, I love that,” Matthew admitted.

“Last year Matt and I dressed as Freddy Kruger and Jason Voorhees,” Alfred chuckled, “We’d play it off as a Freddy vs Jason thing. It was pretty cool.”

“There’s going to be a huge party in the ground floor common area,” Gilbert explained, and Alfred watched as Arthur’s eyes widened at this admission.

“What will you be doing, Arthur?” Alfred asked.

“Well… I bought a classic vampire costume in Los Angeles,” Arthur admitted, but there was still obviously something very wrong, Arthur looked like he had just realised something awful, and his entire body tensed under Gilberts arm.

“Are you ok?” Francis asked, “What are you thinking about?”

Arthur bit his lip as he took a deep breath, “I think I’ll just take a photo of myself in costume, put it on Instagram for my family to see, but stay in my room.”

 _“What?!”_ Gilbert sighed, “Why? It’ll be fun, you haven’t had fun in ages!”

 _“Masks…”_ Arthur shuddered.

“Wh--- _Oh…”_ Francis shuddered, as the reality of Arthur’s words hit the remaining group like a ton of bricks. Even Alfred was taken aback a little bit, Arthur is exercising so much precaution—And Alfred won’t even be in the same state to enjoy it. To Alfred, this was another sign that his stalking was working, Arthur was slowly isolating himself, and bit by bit: soon Alfred will be the only man in Arthur’s life… “Arthur...”

 _“It’s an opportunity that I’m not going to give him,”_ Arthur grumbled.  
Alfred’s eyes narrowed, somewhat excited by the idea of approaching Arthur while wearing a mask… Alfred could imagine it, a loud party, people in costumes and masks everywhere, Arthur standing there as Alfred approaches him, his face concealed by the bloodied hockey-mask. He could only them imagine Arthur lifting the mask and kissing the man underneath it… Alfred could feel his cheeks start to flush…

Until Matthew reminded him of why that fantasy wouldn’t come true that weekend, Alfred felt his phone vibrate, and so he looked down to read the text message from Matthew, ‘I don’t want to be rude and say this out loud, but we still need to get mom’s birthday present. Don’t let me forget.’

Alfred shoved his phone back into his pocket as he gave Matthew a small nod, right as Lovino passed Arthur a nice-looking omelette, with cheese, tomato and onion, it looked really nice.  
“You better eat all of that!” Lovino hissed as Arthur chuckled, “My cereal is soggy now, so you better enjoy it!”

“Thank you,” Arthur replied, smiling sweetly as Lovino continued to eat his own breakfast from under Antonio’s arm. “I appreciate it.”

For a second, Arthur’s eyes scanned around the group, and Arthur caught Alfred’s eyes and was locked into his gaze. The way Arthur looked up at him made Alfred’s heart beat so fast, he was sure he was going to faint. Arthur’s eyes were intoxicating and only pulled Alfred deeper into his fixation. But then, Arthur looked down at his omelette and started to eat.

Nearly there… He’s nearly there, Alfred could feel it, as Arthur was running out of people to rely on, soon Alfred would be the only one left for Arthur. It was moments like that which kept Alfred going, as it told him that his methods were working. It was like Arthur was telling Alfred ‘come and get me’ with his eyes, and it only served to make Alfred more determined.

\----------

The six-hour drive to their home town in Ohio was a fun one, but despite this, Alfred sat in the passenger seat of the car, with his phone angled away from Matthew; so his brother couldn’t see the photos of Arthur on Alfred’s phone.

But, Alfred was quickly distracted by the sight of his family, usually grandparents and cousins visit, but this time it was only the four of them. It was going to be a nice and quiet weekend as a family, to celebrate the mother’s birthday.

It was the first time in weeks that Alfred’s mind was pulled away from Arthur for a long period of time, Alfred, his dad and Matthew cooked Catherine’s favourite dinner together and ate it together as a family and watched a hockey game and got way too enthusiastic about it. Alfred was having a good time, he was enjoying the company of his family and for the first time in weeks, he felt normal.

But, despite the good time, in moments of quiet, Alfred found himself staring into space as he thought about Arthur. He wondered what Arthur was doing that night… Could Arthur still be singing ‘American Boy’, could he be thinking about Alfred? Just the idea of it made Alfred excited, so much so, that he barely kept his attention on the second half of the game.

And so, when he and Matthew retuned to their old bedroom that they shared, Alfred felt like a child again as he climbed up the ladder to the top of the brothers bunk bed.

“Don’t move too much, man,” Matthew shuddered as he listened to the creaking of the wooden bed frame, “I’m terrified of you falling through and flattening me.”

“Did you just call me fat?” Alfred asked.

 _“No!”_ Matthew chuckled, before screaming when Alfred purposely fell hard onto the bed, making a loud creak. Alfred chuckled as he reached down from the top bunk and Matthew passed him his phone and headphones. “Oh yeah, have you seen the groups snapchats and Instagram’s, they’re all having a great time.”

“Hm?” Alfred muttered, his eyes widening as he hurriedly opened his phone and checked Arthur’s Instagram and scrolled down to the last one he remembers seeing, so he could see the few posts in chronological order.

The first photo was Arthur in front of the mirror, wearing his costume. He was dressed in a long black cloak, black pants, boots and a loose white blouse, which made him look very attractive to Alfred. Arthur was smiling at the camera, revealing a set of large fake fangs on his teeth and what Alfred assumed was red lipstick was lined from the corners of his lips to his jaw, underneath the photo was the caption ‘Happy Halloween!’ and under the photo was some comments from his family and other friends back in England. Just the image of Arthur reignited all the feelings within Alfred, his passionate devotion of Arthur’s image came alive as Alfred smiled, and he immediately took a screenshot of Arthur’s photo to add to his collection. 

Alfred then scrolled up, and saw a photo of a bowl of candy, with the caption ‘Thank you @Gil.Beil’. At this, Alfred frowned as he clicked the link to Gilbert’s Instagram. The first thing that Alfred saw was a photo of him and Arthur, smiling in their Halloween costumes, Arthur was even wearing Gilbert’s FBII cap, the seemed happy and that made Alfred nervous. But the next photo was just one of Gilbert smoking a cigarette by the woods, probably pretending to be ‘edgy’, Alfred scoffed, Arthur wouldn’t want anything to do with a guy like that! Right?

But then, Alfred remembered that Matthew mentioned Snapchat, and so Alfred quickly switched apps, and noticed that he had snapchats from Arthur and Gilbert, as well as previous notifications. First, Alfred clicked on Arthur’s and the first thing he saw was the same photo of the bowl of candy that Arthur showed on his Instagram, with the caption _‘Gilbert promised that I won’t have a lousy Halloween, I’m scared already,’_ So was Alfred. The next snap was another photo, but this time, it was the remaining group gathered around Arthur’s room, with candy wrappers and bottles of beer and other alcohol on the floor. Instantly, the sight sent a shiver down Alfred’s spine, he didn’t like where this was going at all. Suddenly, the next picture was a picture of Arthur and Francis, smiling together, that wasn't too bad, but Alfred felt like this wasn't going to be the end of it.

The next was a video, it was from Arthur’s perspective, he was sitting on his bed with Francis, and then Arthur changed the camera sides and was filming the others, Gilbert was sitting by Arthur’s desk and Antonio and Lovino were sitting on the floor, _“Say hi to Alfred and Matthew!!”_  
_“HEEEEY!”_  
_“Wish you were here!”_

The next was a video from Arthur’s perspective, he was yelling _“GAAAAAAY!!”_ As he ran past Antonio and Lovino while they were kissing, a sight which actually made Alfred chuckle a little.

So far things seemed to be casual, but Alfred doubted that it was going to stay that way. He didn’t trust this, he didn’t like this, everything about the situation felt off and left Alfred feeling anxious and tense. He was so scared that something had happened to Arthur, and there was nothing he could do. He knew that he was going to see something he didn’t like, and all he could do was watch every ten second clip of the group sitting around getting drunk and listening to music, waiting for it to happen…

And then he saw it.

Arthur and Gilbert were dancing together in the middle of Arthur’s room, and Alfred could assume that Francis was the one filming, as he yelled something in French as Arthur and Gilbert danced together, moving in closely and singing loudly along with the song. Underneath the footage, Francis had written the text 'he's finally having some fun'. But Alfred was more concerned with Arthur and Gilbert, watching as they swayed from side to side, it was barely even dancing, it looked sensual and it wasn't in rhythm at all to the song, which Alfred instantly recognised.

 _“Why you so obsessed with me~!? Boy, I wanna know,”_ Arthur sang loudly with Gilbert, singing along to the loud song, they sang like they were yelling and were not afraid to get close, the alcohol was thick in their voices all of which instantly set Alfred off, _“Lying that you’re sexing me! When everybody knows, it’s clear that you’re upset with me~!”_

Just to make it worse, the next clip immediately played, and it was still the same and Alfred froze as his heart struggled to process this, it was like being slapped.   
Arthur and Gilbert dancing and singing together, but this time Francis added the caption ‘we all know who this is about’ accompanied by a winking face emoji.  
_“You're delusional, you're delusional! Boy, you're losing your mind! It's confusing, yo, you're confused, you know! Why you wasting your time~?!”_

They were so obviously drunk, the way they danced, the way they sang—they way they looked at each other. What made this worse was the fact that Alfred wasn’t there to protect him, anyone could take advantage of him being like this: and Alfred wouldn’t be able to do anything about it until Monday! Even from the small screen of his phone, he could see Gilbert and Arthur stepping into each other, Arthur's hips moved close to him and Gilbert even dared to touch him, they were both singing the lyrics with so much passion, both the actions themselves and the meaning behind the words made Alfred want to be sick. They were singing about him and they were getting close and comfortable while dissing him! It was like a stab in the back as well as a slap in the face. His heart ached as he only watched more.

Then the next videos played, and Alfred sat through fifteen seconds worth of footage of Gilbert drunkenly teaching Arthur how to waltz, seething with anger as he watched the Germans hands land on Arthur like that.

He then watched Arthur sit on the floor screaming in drunken laughter, he was so happy… Alfred hadn’t seen Arthur smile like that in a long time… And it only hurt him much more… but more than that, it made Alfred angry.

But the nail in the coffin was a video of just Arthur, he was marching around his room and the group were cheering him on, but what made it worse was the audio.  
_“FUCK!!”_ Arthur screamed.  
_“HIM!!”_ The group chanted.  
_“FUCK!”_  
_“HIM!”_  
_“FUCK!”_  
_“HIM!”_

Instantly, Alfred knew what this was about, _and he was not happy…_  
How dare Arthur behave like this...  


Alfred was beyond enraged, he was livid as he watched Arthur’s story continue, through everyone’s different snapchat accounts, watching Arthur get closer and closer with the people that Alfred hated. Alfred’s eyes narrowed as his entire body tensed, seeing Arthur be like this... It was going against everything Alfred had been working towards.

Photos of Arthur sitting on Gilberts slap, photos of Arthur getting drunk, videos of Arthur screaming in German and Gilbert laughing, and even worse, a selfie of Gilbert and Arthur, laying on Arthur's bed. Alfred was trembling so hard, he dropped his phone multiple times. It was all making Alfred sick and what made it worse was the fact that all of this had already happened! Lord knows what happened next, and what wasn't filmed!! What if Gilbert kissed him, what if Gilbert has violated Arthur?! Arthur is easy when he's drunk, just seeing how things went with Antonio was proof enough of that-- Gilbert could be taking advantage of him, and Alfred is a six hour drive away!! 

This is what happens when he relaxes, this is what happens when he leaves Arthur alone with them! Only the noise of Matthews soft breathing from underneath him stopped Alfred from going on a violent rampage. How dare they—How dare Arthur!! Alfred was actually angry with Arthur, something he never thought he could feel. He was hurt and livid over Arthur’s behaviour, seeing him disrespect Alfred and his love for him like that felt like a knife was being twisted in his stomach! He loved Arthur with all of his heart and always will, but some things are inexcusable! Arthur has to learn to respect Alfred and the love he has for him, or Alfred will have to punish him!

Some kind of beast had woken up inside of Alfred, and it sought to create pain and vengeance for this…

No more playing games, no more playing around, no more mercy… Alfred decided, he was not going to be nice anymore, Ivan and Antonio have gotten off easy—He was going to make anyone who got in his way from this point forward pay a very dear price. One that will not only hurt them now, but in the future, he was going to ruin them!!

And Arthur… _Arthur_ … Alfred knew that he was going to forgive him for this, but Alfred decided that he was not going to play games with him either… While he was not going to reveal his identity yet, he was not going to be careful with his words, he was going to tell Arthur what he wanted from him and mean it.  
He was going to make Arthur love him, and he was going to make Arthur understand how good it is to be loved by him, even if it’s by force. Arthur just doesn’t understand yet, but someday he will… someday soon….

_He will make Arthur love him, even if he has to drag him by the ankles…_


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stalkers who become obsessive constantly think about their victim. They tend to create a “mental life” involving the person and have a hard time imagining life without them. They become obsessed to the point where they are doing anything to maintain contact with the victim, no matter what challenges come in between them. 
> 
> Yay! An early part! This part is up early because I will not have a chance to upload on Friday, and I finished this part ridiculously early, so I may as well put it up now.  
> Note: the next part will also be early, due to another commitment next Friday.

Alfred’s bitter feelings lasted throughout the night, relentlessly keeping him awake with worried thoughts that kept him from sleeping. He was fuming on the inside, he couldn't believe this bullshit.

What could have happened to Arthur last night? Is he ok? What happened that wasn’t put on Snapchat? Did Gilbert touch him? How much did he have to drink? Alfred could not help but worry, despite how much his heart hurt when he thought of Arthur’s betrayal and blatant disrespect. But, his love overwhelmed his anger, and the mental image of him and Arthur kissing passionately in the future squashed Alfred’s bitter anger.

He didn’t want to make Arthur pay, but the Englishman will have to make it up to him. Arthur would have to be really good to him for a while for Alfred to completely forgive him, but Alfred already knew that it wouldn't be very hard for Arthur to do, he was just too perfect. Alfred had completely accepted that this was the future he was going to get, no matter how Arthur felt about it. He was going to have Arthur to himself, and was stop at nothing until he got just that.

He just had to get rid of everyone first, and this time, he was going to be brutal. Nor more social or light sentences, he was going to make sure that anyone who got in his way pays for it dearly. He is sick and tired of this shit. Those videos made Alfred impatient, he wanted Arthur that second, and was not wanting to wait much longer.

While he acted completely normal for his family, he knew that the monster inside him was itching to come out and wreak havoc on Gilbert. Nothing was out of reach for him now, nothing was out of bounds or ‘too much’ for him, he wanted Gilbert and anyone dumb enough to get in his way to _suffer._

Not even Arthur was going to be safe from Alfred’s twisted mood swing, Alfred thought about what lengths he’d go to get Arthur and keep him. He decided that even if Arthur protested their relationship or tried to leave; he’d only profess his love louder. And he’d make Arthur listen to him, even if he had to tie him to a chair to do it. He could even picture it, and it even turned him on a little, despite how shameful it was in reality. Arthur sitting there, bound to a chair, Alfred knew that he'd loudly protest... But Alfred would do it for them, he loves Arthur too much to let him go, and someday Arthur will stop fighting it and realise. 

Alfred already accepted that Arthur would have a hard time ‘adjusting’ to Alfred’s feelings, but Alfred was just sick and tired of trying to do this nicely, he wanted to be blunt. Even if it meant he had to temporarilyrestrain Arthur, only until he loves Alfred enough to not run away.

All those dark thoughts circulated in his brain as he helped his sweet step-mother clean the dishes from their big breakfast, and even while he played with the old family dog with Matthew. Alfred knew that he had become a wolf in sheep’s clothing at this point, no one would suspect that such dark thoughts harboured in Alfred’s mind.

He sat with his father and spoke about college and what his plans were, he then listened to his parents tell him and Matthew how proud they were of them. Alfred even took the opportunity to come out as gay to them, and he was accepted without issue; as he expected. Now he just needs to show them Arthur, then they’ll be an even happier family.

He couldn’t wait for it… He couldn’t wait to bring Arthur home to his parents for Christmas or Thanksgiving—they would love Arthur so much! Ooh, then someday Alfred will meet Arthur’s parents and they will love him just as much too! Then everyone will be happy when they get married and start a family of their own, it would be so perfect. Fantasies like that reminded Alfred of what he was working towards, and reminded him of why he can’t let Arthur go.  
Alfred was sad to leave his childhood house again, but then, he knew that he had a lot of work waiting for him in Rockford, and he couldn’t wait to get started.

\-----

As soon as Alfred and Matthew returned home that Sunday night, Alfred got to work, he shut himself away in his room under the guise of finishing homework, and started to stalk Gilbert. He looked through his Instagram to get any information that could be used against him.

While it took a lot of research, Alfred ended up learning a lot more about Gilbert than he anticipated. He even found Gilbert’s Facebook account, and quickly got friended by the German – who wouldn’t have suspected a thing from Alfred’s sudden friend request.

He’s been in a relationship with a girl, and more recently he’s had one with a boy – so, he’s bisexual. Interesting, but that wasn’t something that Alfred could use against him.  
He has a younger brother, Ludwig, once again, it wasn’t something that he could use…

He then looked through Gilbert’s travel albums and locations, desperate to see what Gilbert has done in his past, there has GOT to be something questionable or something that Alfred could use to ruin him. The worst thing that Alfred had seen is Gilbert’s smoking habit, but that’s not illegal or awful, despite the health implications.

He was starting to get tired and irritated, Alfred had spent what felt like hours slowly stalking through Gilbert’s photo’s, status’ and things that he’s done. It looks like he didn’t know Arthur until the semester started, however, he has posted photos with Arthur in them, so at least Alfred got some new photos of Arthur for his collection out of this endeavour.

But then, he noticed a photo that Gilbert as tagged in from around two years ago, from a trip to Amsterdam that he took with some friends… It was a photo of Gilbert smiling mischievously, in front of a dimly lit shop, which was decorated with green lights. The caption underneath told Alfred that they were at a _‘coffeeshop’_ in Amsterdam’s red-light district. The sarcastic tone of the post made Alfred wonder… Perhaps he should research this, there could be something there for Alfred to use…

“Hey, Alfred,” Matthew said as he opened the door to Alfred’s bedroom, and the American quickly switched to a more innocent web-page, deciding that he’d look up Amsterdam’s red-light district after he left.

“Hey!” Alfred chirped, putting on his happy-face.

“It’s getting late, what do you want to do for dinner?” Matthew asked.

“I don’t mind,” Alfred replied.

“Well… If you want, we could do the pizza and games night tonight…” Matthew suggested, giving Alfred a sweet smile, and Alfred could see clearly that that’s what his brother wanted to do.

And Alfred couldn’t say no to that face, “Sure, sound’s great!”

“Yay!” Matthew chirped, “You want pepperoni, right?”

“And extra cheese.”

“Good!” Matthew smiled, “Annnd, I was thinking that we could also have that rum and coke we’ve been wanting to try.”

“Are you suggesting we get drunk and play Cuphead?” Alfred asked, chuckling as Matthew’s smile widened as he quickly nodded his head, clearly excited about the idea. “Alright, order the pizza and I’ll set everything up.

Alfred quickly closed his laptop and followed Matthew out of the bedroom as Matthew called the pizza-restaurant near their apartment complex. A few minutes later, Matthew returned from making the order as Alfred set up the controllers next to the coffee table, where he had set up their bottles of rum and coke.

From there Alfred could see the clear smile on Matthews face and it was then that Alfred realised how much he had been neglecting him, Matthew is his best friend in the entire world, and they used to hang out like this every weekend before this semester started, before Alfred became fixed on Arthur… Alfred was surprised to see that Matthew was so excited to spend time with him, and now Alfred understood why, and the idea made his heart hurt a little bit, no wonder Matthew was excited to hang out with Alfred, he misses him... While he did not regret spending so much time stalking Arthur, he completely forgot that he had another important relationship to maintain – no wonder Alfred had become so manic lately…

Matthew has always calmed him down, made him somewhat sane. He always had, during even the hardest of times. Alfred supposed that he needed Matthew more now than ever. And as he drank more and more rum and coke, the urge to spill all his secrets to Matthew got harder. He wanted to tell Matthew everything, but he knew what Matthew would say. He knew that Matthew would say what Alfred didn’t want to hear – and that was a good enough deterrent from speaking.

But Alfred didn’t have to think about it for very long, as Matthew quickly distracted him with pizza and a videogame that required all of Alfred’s brainpower.  
During that night, Alfred genuinely smiled and genuinely laughed for the first time in what felt like ages, everything in between then had either been completely fake or from his fixation. Matthew laughed with him, having genuinely missed the company of his brother, and Alfred could recognise that and did feel bad for neglecting him for so long. But he knew why he had to neglect him, so much of Alfred’s time was dedicated to Arthur, whether he was stalking him, looking at pictures or writing his letters.

But tonight wasn’t about that, tonight Matthew had dragged Alfred out of that world and showed Alfred a good time. And while he did have moments where he was internally panicking about what to write to Arthur and how to get rid of Gilbert, the majority of the time was good.  
And he was reminded why he loves Matthew so much…

\------

Before he knew it, another week had passed, and Alfred rigorously researched Gilbert’s past and what he’s been connected to, some of which was particularly interesting… He could possibly have a plan forming…

Usually he was calm and patient with his planning, but this time he had lost all patience. He wanted Gilbert gone and was going to stop at nothing. He would even have the German kicked off the continent if he could. Alfred felt the need to get this over and done with fast, he wanted Gilbert gone and was going to stop at nothing to make it happen.

Not even watching Arthur have his lunch with Afonso could make Alfred calm, and this time: Alfred had gotten a seat close enough to hear them as he drank a cup of coffee that he had bought. Sadly, in order for him to hear Arthur, he had to sit in a position that Arthur couldn’t see him, so Alfred couldn’t see his face.

“I just don’t know what to do… The letters haven’t stopped, even after Gilbert chased him away!” Arthur explained.

Alfred wanted to huff, here he goes again: talking to Afonso about the letters, it looks like Alfred’s method to make Arthur stopped hasn’t worked at all. Why must he share Alfred’s most intimate fantasies with others? It made Alfred want to cry and hug Arthur while begging him to stop.  
But then again, Arthur doesn’t know it’s Alfred yet, and he doesn’t know about the purity of Alfred’s intentions, so he supposes that he shouldn’t be made at Arthur for wanting to be precautious. Luckily for Arthur, Alfred doesn’t consider to this to be cheating… Unless if he sees something he really doesn’t like. At least that shows Alfred that Arthur would apply the same amount of effort and passion into their relationship.

Besides, Afonso is the one who brought it up, “has the nature of the letters changed at all?”

“A little bit, yes.” Arthur admitted, “His God-complex has gotten stronger. He talks like he knows the future and I am going to be his. He even said that I am going to love him ‘no matter how long it takes,’ he’s gotten rougher, I feel. When I read his letters, I feel like I’m getting a lecture.”

“Do you think Gilbert didn’t scare him off, but push him to try harder?”

“Yes,” Arthur sighed, “I know that Gilbert tried his best and I appreciate it greatly… I… I just really want to know who this guy is.”

“But that could be a dangerous thing…” Afonso replied, his eyes widening as he leaned into Arthur who sat on the opposite side of the small square table. “What would he do if you say something he doesn’t like…?”

“I know… I’ve done my research,” Arthur sighed, “There is the risk that he could get violent… Stalkers do get violent in some cases…” Arthur paused briefly to look down at his fidgeting hands, as though he were contemplating even finishing what he was going to say, _“Some have even killed who they’ve stalked…”_

At this, Alfred frowned—has Arthur thought about Alfred being violent with him? Alfred had never considered violence before, sure he had thought about restraining Arthur… But the idea of _hurting_ Arthur sent a shiver down Alfred’s spine. Surely he’d never—he’d never stoop to such a low level, violence against a loved one is redundant and against the point, Alfred isn’t that kind of man! He refuses to even picture the scenario! He would never be violent to Arthur because he would never need to use it!  
But with his competition... That could be different, Alfred had never considered it before this point, but then again, his competition have awakened a lot of dark feelings that Alfred didn't know he had.

“Which is why I don’t think it’d be best if you met him, especially with what ‘fantasies’ he’s been describing,” Afonso explained, “he seems delusional. If you reject or even challenge his fantasy, he could lash out and… If he hurts you…”  
Alfred felt his throat tighten, stung by the ideas that Afonso was implanting into Arthur’s mind, he was making Arthur afraid! No wonder Arthur was having a hard time— _It’s his fault!!_

Arthur sighed deeply, holding himself tightly as he rocked forwards slightly, “I’ve been up at night wondering what he’d do if he got a gun…”

“Don’t think about that too much, if he’s an international student, like we think he is, then it should be very hard for him to get one,” Afonso explained.

“But now we’re starting to wonder whether he is one,” Arthur admitted, “When Gilbert chased him, he was wearing a winter coat and had his hood on. What if he came in from the outside…? What if we’re looking in the complete wrong direction?”

Alfred could see it perfectly as Afonso frowned, and Alfred prayed that Afonso and Arthur stopped exploring the idea, “You’ve pointed out to me before that this guy is getting cautious, what if this is just a precaution of his. Surely he knows that you are onto him and would want to protect his identity when delivering the letter. Besides, you said so yourself; how else would he know where your room is. Please don’t make yourself worry too much, it will destroy you.”

“Heh... I kind of am destroyed already... But, what also bothers me is how much he knows. He knows I am talking about him… He doesn’t like that…” Arthur admitted, “But… if he’s an international student it’d explain so much… but if he isn’t, then that’s much more concerning.”

“He’d be far more dangerous than we anticipated…” Afonso sighed, before he scratched the back of his neck in worry, “I get it.”

 _Oh please,_ what would he know about what Arthur is feeling, or what Alfred is feeling? – no one is capable of feeling the love that Alfred has for the Englishman – that’s why they’re all so desperate to keep him away from it!!

“I just don’t know what else to do…” Arthur sighed, “I thought of leaving my own letter for him to pick up when he delivers my next one. But what the hell do I say without making the situation worse?”

“Exactly, he’s craving your attention. If you engage with him it will only make things worse,” Afonso agreed, “How long are you studying in America for, one semester or two?”

Alfred wanted to fucking scream, so much so that he was sure that he blacked out for a few seconds. He was enraged, he was convinced that Afonso was going to keep Arthur away from him, keep them from consummating their love!  
What irked Alfred the most was that he couldn’t figure out why… Why is this teacher so interested in keeping Arthur ‘safe’ if he didn’t think that he was getting something out of it—what kind of ‘favour’ is he expecting in return for his ‘help’? What a sick pervert! No one goes this far out of their way out of the goodness of their own heart! --- the same goes for all of their ‘friends’, what does Gilbert get out of being so damn cocky, what does Francis get out of being so protective and concerned?! What the hell did Ivan think he was going to get by pretending to be a body guard?! Thinking about it left a sour taste in Alfred’s mouth, he doesn’t want these people getting their hands-on Arthur… On his Arthur…

“So, you mentioned you had a party on Halloween, what happened there?” Afonso asked, which stole back Alfred’s attention.

“Yeah… I think… I think I may have used a double-edge sword there…” Arthur admitted as he scratched the back of his head, which made Alfred’s hairs stand up, just seeing him doing little hot things like that gave Alfred a rush of adrenaline. “I got fairly drunk…”

“Mm…” Afonso grumbled as Arthur chuckled nervously. The sight of Afonso’s narrowing eyes made Alfred scowl – who does he think he is, why is he looking at Arthur like that!?

But also, Alfred hasn't heard much about what happened on Halloween night, perhaps this can clear some of Alfred's confusion-- and maybe he'll even hear if Gilbert and Arthur did anything, while they haven't been acting like they have since Alfred got back: anything could have happened between them! And if Gilbert has touched Arthur,  _God help him._

“Yeah… One of my friends, Gilbert, was hell-bent on not letting me have a lousy Halloween. We got really drunk, my friendship group and I stuck in my bedroom and the hall outside, we played music and danced and laughed. I ended up dancing with Gilbert to ‘Obsessed’ by Mariah Carey.”

 _“Ooh…”_ Afonso murmured.

“If _he_ heard me, I am absolutely fucked…” Arthur chuckled.

“Mm. I don’t imagine he’d appreciate hearing those lyrics booming through the dorms,” Afonso agreed.

“But, for once, I wasn’t scared of him. I felt liberated. After that night I had the attitude of ‘fuck him, I’m not going to let him scare me,’ I felt as though I could fight him and win. I'm not going to let him drag me down and make me his pet, not without a fight..”

_So... Perhaps Alfred will need to restrain him after all..._

“And do you still have that attitude?” Afonso asked.

“Somewhat,” Arthur admitted, “And I really think that I have Gilbert to thank for that. He refused to let me hide and isolate myself because of him… I really appreciate my friends, all of them…”

Alfred could feel himself start to tremble, so much so that he quickly rose from his seat and removed himself from the café, knowing that he’d be throwing himself under the bus if he was noticed while acting weird. He could feel the monster claw inside of him to come out, he wanted to be angry, he wanted to remove anyone who so much as looked at Arthur.

His temper was getting worse, and it was making him impatient.

But he still has to get rid of his current rival, Gilbert, and so he decided that he would pour as much energy as he could to develop a brilliant plan. Alfred wanted to humiliate, shame and isolate him in the most effective way possible. No one would want to go near Gilbert by the time Alfred was finished with him…  
He already had an idea of what he wanted to do…

\--------

 _“REALLY? You really thought that I’d love you?_  
Please, why would I want you when I have far better options? You really are delusional.  
You’re not a man, you’re just sick in the head! They were all right to keep me away from you, it was for my own damn good, I say.  
And to think, I smiled at you because I wanted you, thank God they all got to me in time before I messed up!  
You love me? You really, really love me, Alfred, Darling? HA—You’re sick!  
Please… Antonio still has his eyes on me, and besides, Lovino told me about how you pressured him to get Antonio away from me before we could hook up.  
Ivan told me about what a manipulative liar you are.  
Afonso warned me of your violent potential: he was right to make me afraid of you.  
Matthew told me about how you’ve become just like your psychotic bitch of a birth-mother,  
and Gilbert is my hero because he’s braver than you will ever be!  
And Francis, heh… He loves me more than you could ever, and he’s my childhood friend.  
All of them have ruined you. All of them have shown me what I can have,  
so why should I settle for you? What can you offer me that they can’t? You failed all of my challenges.  
You couldn’t keep it up, you faltered, and I found something else. You even couldn’t keep me interested through your letters, you didn’t think I was actually creeped out, right?  
You better not go soft on me if you want to keep me.  
Oh God, look at you, you look like you can barely breathe.  
I want a man who can stand his fucking ground, show me—ugh!”

Alfred couldn’t see anything but pitch black, but he could hear perfectly well. He could hear Arthur soft and short gasps echo past him. He could feel his arms tense so hard, he was sure they were about to cramp. But he could feel something, he could feel something at the end of his hands, and he was holding on so tightly…

_“Alf—ah! –red!”_

Alfred only held on tighter, realising that despite the pain and the lack of clarity—he was in control. He felt like he was in control of the situation. He was making the bad voice stop…

 _“Al—Pl—plea…”_ The voice wheezed.

This wasn’t Arthur, this was a voice, this was a voice that wanted them apart! He was not going to let it win! He was not going to let it take Arthur away from him!!!! He’ll kill it before it makes Arthur really believe those awful things about him! _HE CAN’T LET ARTHUR KNOW!!_ Alfred tightened his grip, determined to shut away the bad voice for good, determined to not let it think he can ruin Alfred like this! He'd rather Arthur be dead than with anyone else!!

Suddenly, Alfred’s eyes snapped open, and he saw glistening eyes of green, contaminated with red-lined and tears staring back at him. What were pale cheeks were stained with red and strain as the beautiful boy struggled… struggled with the grip of Alfred’s hands, which were fastened around his neck…  
Alfred screamed loudly at the realisation of his actions, and of which followed him into reality. In the darkness of his bedroom, Alfred screamed loudly in horror as he sat up in his bed, drenched in sweat.

 _“OH MY GOD!!”_ Alfred screamed as he threw himself forward, not having registered that he was awakened from a nightmare, _“OH MY GOD, NO!!! NO!!”_ Alfred continued to scream as he crawled backwards until his back pressed into his wooden bedhead. The image of what he saw in his nightmare chilled him to the bone and left him speechless—he never wanted to see something like that!

“ALFRED!!” Matthew cried as he ran into Alfred’s bedroom and switched on the light, which finally brought the American back to reality, “Holy shit, are you ok?”

“Y-Yeah…” Alfred shuddered as he started to detangle his sheets from his legs, “Just a bad dream.”

“You’re telling me, I’ve never heard you scream like that,” Matthew sighed, coming further into the bedroom, “Do you need to talk about it?”

Instantly, Alfred thought about coming clean to Matthew. He honestly considered telling Matthew everything, like he did when they were kids. But his sense of dread overwhelmed him.

As Alfred started to think more clearly, the more he reasoned with what he saw. This wasn’t his fault, it was just a dream—It means nothing. It’s nothing, Alfred was just stressed, and that stress and anxiety manifested into a nightmare! Surely there’s something in the psychology of dreams and subconscious crap that explains everything Alfred just saw! Besides! Violence was in Alfred’s mind because of what Afonso said—clearly that’s why Alfred saw that in his nightmare!

Alfred doesn’t need to come clean about anything, he just needs to get rid of what made him stressed and anxious.

"I'm-- I'm ok, thanks..."

From that minute, Alfred decided that he was going to act that very next day, there was no time to waste.

Everyone in the group has the capability to tear down everything that Alfred worked towards, Alfred cannot trust anyone! Not even Matthew! He has to get rid of every threat and tie up every loose end before Arthur can learn anything!

He can’t let his nightmare come true, he can’t live without Arthur, so a fate like his nightmare would be worse than death.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> California was the first state to criminalise stalking in the United States in 1990 as a result of numerous high-profile stalking cases in California, including the 1982 attempted murder of actress Theresa Saldana, the 1988 massacre by Richard Farley, the 1989 murder of actress Rebecca Schaeffer, and five Orange County stalking murders, also in 1989.
> 
> Oh my God, I don't know how I've done it. It's a Christmas miracle, I've made another early part.  
> Don't worry, there will still be another part out before next Friday!  
> Thank you for reading!

With the horror of his nightmare fresh in his mind, Alfred continued his day without any issues. He watched Arthur like a hawk as he laughed with the German while he plated the Frenchman’s hair. Despite watching Arthur smile and laugh, and even engage with Alfred, Alfred felt numb on the inside, haunted by the image his nightmare cooked up. He still refused to believe that it meant anything, it was only a trick of the mind: but that didn’t stop it from hurting him so much…

It was a violent nightmare, that's all, it didn't mean that he was going to hurt Arthur, not intentionally, of course.

Alfred watched Arthur with loving eyes, determined to only think happy thoughts in the presence of his angel, the love of his life, his everything… The one whose neck he would never intend harm… It made Alfred's heart heat up to watch him.

He stared at Arthur for so long, it was a miracle that people hadn’t noticed, but then again, the funny video that Antonio was circling around the group gave Alfred the advantage. They had _no clue,_ and he couldn't help but find it amusing, but it was also dangerous, he couldn't get cocky...

He watched Arthur, he watched him like a hunter watched a deer. He wanted nothing more than to grab him and love him, but he knew he couldn’t do that: too much is at stake for him to be caught now – all that he’s worked for would topple like a house of cards. Arthur’s presence continued to have a warming effect on Alfred, which was stronger than the coldness of the snow around them. Alfred felt warm inside just by looking at Arthur, he felt calmer and happier, like he was sitting in front of a campfire, and seeing him smile was like watching the beautiful sparks lifting into the air. He only became more and more perfect to Alfred the more he watched him.

Everything from the way he rubbed his hair when he thought hard, to how he smiled, and to even how he would pick at the bits of snow that had fallen onto his clothes had Alfred feeling weak in the knees and dizzy in the head. He loved Arthur so badly, he could think of nothing but him. The world was nothing to him when he stared at his love. The littlest of things sent the heat and adrenaline rushing through Alfred’s veins. He loved watching Arthur do those little things, and loved even more to imagine Arthur doing those little things, but under his protective arm, where he would fit so perfectly... He was more determined now more than ever to be Arthur’s American Boy.

Arthur looked so radiant as he calmly spoke with Lovino, not realizing that Alfred was staring at him. Alfred was captivated by how handsome Arthur looked as he laughed softly, and how his eyes glimmered in the slightest of light.

Alfred nearly shivered himself from an entirely different sensation as he watched Arthur bundle himself in his warm clothes to protect himself from the cold, and Alfred nearly screamed when he watched Arthur flip his hood over his head, revealing the fluffy-trimming of his winter coat! He looked so adorable Alfred could barely contain the heat throughout his body as the fluff of his hood-trimming bordered his head. But, in the corner of his eye, Alfred saw Francis glance at him for longer than he liked, his icy blue eyes narrowing at Alfred as the Frenchman wore the French-braid that Arthur had done with his blonde hair, it was analytical, and Alfred did not like that. Instantly Alfred responded to the danger and averted his gaze, reluctantly. Now he found himself pretending to be a part of Matthew and Gilberts conversation, but those two were so deeply into it that they barely noticed Alfred joining in, they were too engrossed in each other to notice. 

But... Now that the object of his affection is out of his line of sight, Alfred’s mind had shifted from thoughts about Arthur to thoughts about Francis, and they were nowhere near as nice… Francis had been a thorn in Alfred’s side since day one, and so Alfred was going to take out his frustrations in the worst way possible.  
But how? The Frenchman was continuously glued to Arthur’s side, like a fucking rash. Nonetheless, the Frenchman was not the current target, Alfred would deal with him when the time came.

 _Alfred hated him...  
_ But then again, he hated all of them, except Matthew. All of them were threats to Alfred's position and his future with Arthur, and so that meant that none of them were safe.

Despite this, Alfred felt completely safe. He was safe as long as no one compared their knowledge of Alfred, then there was no way he could be figured out, or even suspected. He just needed to keep his cool and remain sane—but that was getting harder by the day.

Eventually the night came after a long day of pretending to be interested in his classes, grades be damned-- Arthur was on his mind. Alfred and Matthew returned home after a long day on campus, and after Matthew went to bed, Alfred stayed awake long into the night… He waited until he was sure that Matthew was asleep before he made his move. Like a thief, Alfred quietly moved throughout his bedroom in the darkness, getting dressed into strategically placed clothes throughout the room, so he could get ready as fast and as quietly as possible.

He then slowly crept down the front hall of the brothers shared apartment, being so quiet; he felt as though the smallest of noises would trigger Matthew to investigate and catch Alfred red-handed as he stole the keys to the car. With his hood now over his head to protect him from the cold, Alfred walked down the front steps of their ground floor unit, and made his way to the resident’s car park, where he quickly wiped off the small layer of snow from the cars windows and made his escape.

With the help of the GPS, and the strongest coffee the baristas at Starbucks could conjure, Alfred made the journey from Rockford to Chicago, where it was surprisingly busy for 2AM, but then again, it was mid-November. When Alfred found a place to park, he continued the journey by foot, walking to his destination as he hoped his memory wouldn’t fail him.

He was inspired by the picture of Gilbert in the red-light district of Amsterdam, where, when Alfred researched it, he learned that it was a popular place for tourists to get their hands on illicit substances… _Well_ … Illicit substances in their own countries at least. So, he could only imagine what Gilbert got up to, and judging by the mischievous smile on his face and Alfred’s impression of him: he would have gotten up to a lot in Amsterdam. At least, that’s what Alfred wants to think.

And so, he returned to the club in Chicago that once gave him the creeps. He honestly never thought that he would want to return to that place, where he remembered watching Ivan guarding Arthur like a hound, but desperate times call for desperate measures. He wanted to make Gilbert regretting ever choosing to study in Rockford, hell, he wanted to make him regret coming to America at all, and playing around with someone who wasn’t his. Gilbert wanted to pretend to be a hero and gloat over how he wants to keep Arthur safe, _please_. Alfred wanted to teach him a hard lesson, whether the German figures it out or not.

Alfred stalked through the busy club, looking for anyone who looked the slightest bit interested, not in a sexual way. He felt so repulsed as women tried to get him to dance with him or get his attention by calling him by pet names. Alfred was not interested in the slightest, he was on a mission and unless if those women could help him some way, he didn’t care.

He stalked the nightclub silently and probably stood out like a sore thumb, he was the one guy dressed still in winter-clothes and stood still in the middle of the dancefloor, he probably looked like he was up to no good, but that's what he wanted. How he hadn’t been taken aside by security yet surprised him.

But, after an hour, Alfred felt someone tap his shoulder, harder than any woman who tried to coax him into a dance, this grasp was predatory and sinister – and exactly what Alfred was looking for. Alfred turned to the stranger to see a man staring at him with wide and suspicious eyes, he looked clean but wild… He nodded at Alfred, as though he expected the American to understand what he was asking, and Alfred did, at least he thought he did. But this was confirmed after a few shared words on the outskirts of the dancefloor.

Alfred chuckled as he followed the man into the men’s bathroom, glad that everything was going according to plan.

Once he was in the men’s bathroom, Alfred understood why there was such a crowd in front of it, and how he was able to get inside so fast, because he was being  _let_ in.  
Smoke filled the air so much so, that Alfred could barely see the black and white tiled walls of the bathroom, and even made Alfred cough a little. People were sitting on the sinks and used the stalls for their own personal, and illegal activities. But Alfred wasn’t phased at all, he was on a mission, and it showed on his stoic face. Perhaps that's why the man who approached him thought that he'd make a sale off of Alfred. 

Alfred smiled down at the man who brought him there, ready to make a deal. It was then that Alfred knew that he had crossed the point of no return, if he did this now, he would have to carry out his plan to completion. There’s no going back from this. But the thought of Arthur pushed Alfred onwards, he has to be Arthur’s knight, his hero… So what if he has to do something shady to get to him…?

_“What’s the most illegal thing you’ve got…?”_

\----

Three-hundred dollars later, and Alfred had more than he could possibly want. He didn’t even care if what he bought was legit, or even good quality, all he cared about was quantity and legality.  
This was going to be fun…

Once again, Alfred left the apartment before Matthew woke up and snuck to the local department store to pick some things up, before going to the campus to act out the second, and most important, part of his plan. Instead of going straight to Arthur’s door to deliver his latest letter and a rose, Alfred waited around the corner of the hallway, the one which was the opposite end to Gilberts room. Alfred waited patiently for nearly half an hour, and it was a miracle that Alfred didn’t fall asleep in the hallway. He knew that he couldn't fuck up now, this was the most crucial moment of his plan to get rid of Gilbert.

But he was wide awake and aware as he watched Gilbert coming out of his bedroom, wearing black gym clothes and carrying a gym bag. Now Alfred saw his chance, and his eyes widened when he saw Gilbert just close his door, and didn’t lock it like the others would. _Has he learned nothing?_ Heh… He probably thought that he wasn’t a target…

The second that Gilbert was down the staircase, Alfred ran across the hallway as he put on his gloves to conceal his fingerprints and when he made it to Gilbert’s bedroom he was surprised to see that he really left the door unlocked. Perhaps he only locks it when he leaves the building or something… Alfred didn’t care, he entered Gilberts room and turned on the light. He saw that Gilbert’s room was similar to Arthur’s room, with the same furniture and set up; but Alfred couldn’t help but take note that Gilbert’s room was ridiculously neat, Gilbert even folded out the clothes he was going to wear for the day on his desk. However, luckily for Alfred; the German had made the bed already, so Alfred did not have to watch out for recreating the scene too much as he took a photo of the bed to use as a reference. With a smirk on his tired face, Alfred lifted the mattress from the bedframe, revealing the wood and lining sheet underneath.

Alfred smiled as he lifted his bag and took out what he had bought that night and what he bought in the morning, and laid it out in the bed. He laid out some bags of suspicious product, some cash, half a packet of cleaning wipes and a knife that Alfred bought from Walmart and scratched it with rocks and dirtied it on his way to the international dorms. He smiled like a madman as he ran one of the wet cleaning wipes all over the knife, cash, and packets of product. He knew that he was going to ruin Gilberts life, and he couldn’t be more excited to watch it unfold. He was going to enjoy this so much.

He planted the incriminating items underneath Gilberts mattress, and when he dropped the mattress back onto the bedframe, he referenced the picture as well as he could and remade the bed, and did not stop until he was confident that it was identical.

Now he had one more thing to do, Alfred searched through the room for a familiar item as he took out a black fabric bag from his bag, which had the remaining product, some more cash and another small knife in it, which looked as used as the one that Alfred hid under his bed. Alfred quickly found what he was looking for, smiling when he saw that the German had placed his already-packed bag on the desk chair. Alfred carefully lifted Gilberts laptop, notebook and pencil case from his bag, being sure to keep them in the same order, and Alfred laid the black fabric bag on the floor of Gilberts backpack, making sure that it camouflaged perfectly at the bottom of the Germans black bag. After making sure that it was flat enough, Alfred carefully slid Gilberts items back into the bag, taking extra care to not change the position of the bag on the chair. Finally confident that nothing was noticeable, Alfred zipped the bag shut and released a deep sigh. He’s done the big parts… Now there’s only one more thing left to do, but that wasn't going to come until later. The hardest parts were done, and Alfred could not be prouder of himself.

Alfred left the scene as quickly as he entered it, and made his way back to his and Matthew apartment before Gilbert would have even finished his gym session.

Exhausted, Alfred practically collapsed into his bed, wanting to take advantage of the two hours he had left of ‘sleep’ before his alarm is scheduled to go off.  
But he could barely sleep, he was too excited—He couldn’t wait to see the looks on everyone’s faces when Gilbert is caught! Ha! Alfred was so excited he could barely take it! He hugged his pillow tightly, once again pretending that it was Arthur.  
Alfred was getting so close, he could almost taste him…

\-----

Even though Alfred was sleep-deprived and exhausted, he dragged himself to campus, despite Matthews attempt to convince Alfred to stay home, he needed to do this today, and make it glorious. He looked dead in the face, but in his eyes, there was still that fire of determination.

Alfred looked barely conscious as he sat with the group, who had decided to hang out in the library that morning, because some members had things to print for a class. And despite Alfred sitting next to Arthur, Arthur was busy on his laptop, skyping with his brother.

“You look like fucking _shit!”_ His brother barked loudly, in a Scottish accent which was so thick, Alfred could barely understand him. Now Alfred wondered what the rest of Arthur’s family was like. But he couldn't help but feel a little offended over how Arthur's relative greeted him... Arthur didn't look like shit, he looked radiant, as always, albeit, he did look a little bit tired in the eyes.

“Missed you too, Allistor,” Arthur sighed, resting his head against his hand as he stared dully at the screen, “Can you put mum on? Or dad, is he around?”  
Alfred's eyes narrowed, so this must be Arthur's brother, and by the look of the man, he was older, _much_ older. 

“Nah, they’ve popped out for a bit, it’s just me and Peter ‘ere. Everyone else is out,” Allistor explained, “And Peter has a friend from school over, so you’re stuck with me.”

So, this is going to be Alfred’s brother-in-law… Alfred peered over, knowing that he was not going to be caught on the camera. Even with the shitty connection, Alfred could make out Allistor’s fiery red hair and piercing green eyes. He looked just like Arthur, but harsher, older and bigger, but he wasn’t as handsome as Arthur, because to Alfred: no one was as handsome as Arthur.

“Why the fuck are you even at mum and dads house, you’ve moved out,” Arthur pointed out. “Go away, you hermit.”

“And leave Peter alone with his wee-lady friend? Nah,” Allistor chuckled.

“Oh my God, does Peter really have a girl over?! Put them on! I need to embarrass him!” Arthur chuckled.

“Later, later,” Allistor pointed out, “I’ve already had a go at him. Heh… That’s the first time I’ve seen you smile this entire call, and you’ve only insulted me once, and I thought you'd be much more excited to tell me about your time in America. You seem different, what’s wrong?”

“I’m fine,” Arthur replied, coldly, his expression falling deadpan.

“No you’re not, even with this shitty reception, I can see,” Allistor explained, “Mum even pointed out that you seemed tired.”

“Yeah, I’m just tired. I am here for school, remember?” Arthur asked.

“Is Francis there?” Allistor asked, _“OI! Francis!”_

And with that, Alfred's expression fell.

“Oh fuck—” Arthur growled as Francis ran around the large table to look on Arthurs screen, before he waved at Allistor and smiled sweetly.

 _“Bonjour Allistor~!”_ Francis chuckled, so cheerfully as he put himself over Arthur's back, bringing one arm over Arthurs shoulder to hold him.

“What’s making Arthur more sour than usual?” Allistor asked loudly, and rather angrily.

“Francis, don’t—”

“He's being stalked, sir!” Francis admitted, not flinching when Arthur smacked him on the chest, but Francis only leaned closer into Arthur, and even dared hold him even tighter, “Someone is leaving creepy letters in front of his door, they’ve been doing it ever since the semester started.”

Even Allistor seemed taken aback by Francis’ confession, and the man was left in a stunned silence, before roaring in his thick accent, _“WHAT THE FUCK!?”_

Hating the sight of Francis holding onto Arthur like that, Alfred joined in, taking his arm around Arthur as well, snaking his arm under Francis’.  “We’re looking after him!” While Alfred was smiling, he was hiding the utter outrage of Francis giving away details like this! Who does he think he is!?!  
  
“Who’re you?” Allistor asked.

 _Your future brother-in-law, thanks_ – Alfred thought before giving the Scotsman a smile, “Alfred!”

“Now, what about these letters, what the fuck is going on, Arthur?!” Allistor asked, his eyebrows angling in worry, which had to be the most genuine expression that Alfred had seen on the man, and it looked surprisingly a lot like Arthur's.

 _“I’m fine!”_ Arthur snapped, leaning in close to the camera, “Don’t tell anyone else that this is going on!”

“Don’t tell anyone else?! _Fuck!_ What if he’s fucking crazy!? You're surrounded by gun crazy Americans!” Allistor asked, the comment about Americans stung Alfred a little, but he still listened intently,  _“Francis,_ what are in the letters?!”

“I don't know,” Francis admitted as he held on tighter to Arthur, effectively pulling Arthur from Alfred’s gasp, leaving the American to sit back down in defeat, _bitter_ defeat… He had just about had it with the Frenchman. “We are all so worried! He is a pervert and a creep!”

This time, Alfred had a physically stop himself from flinching, seething over Francis’ words…

 _“Arthur…”_ Allistor muttered, becoming softer for the first time during the conversation. "Please... Don't leave anything up to chance with this... Please, tell me what's going on..."

“Look, don’t tell mum, she will only panic…” Arthur admitted, “I’m going to be ok, I promise, I'll write to you later.”

“You better be…” Allistor grumbled, his voice becoming calm and clear, he was being serious now, and Alfred could tell that Arthur was genuinely listening, “If anything happens, I’m flying over there or flying you home. I swear to fucking God... Francis, you guard him with your life, aye?”

 _“Aye!”_ Francis chirped, smiling like he and Allistor had an inside joke, which only left Alfred seething on the inside. He couldn't wait to be as good of friends with Arthur's family-- no, Arthur's family will love Alfred more than they ever loved Francis!

 _“I don’t need fucking guarding…”_ Arthur grumbled softly.

After a few more minutes of conversation, Allistor had to leave, and so the Skype session finished, and Arthur sighed as he closed his laptop, before slapping Francis on the shoulder, angrily staring at him as the Frenchman rubbed his arm.  
“Why the fuck did you tell him about the letters?!”

“They’re your family, we have talked about this! You said that you were going to tell them!” Francis pointed out, _“You said you were going to tell them!”_

“I know… _Fuck_ … When I get back, the entire fucking suburb will know…” Arthur sighed, “I just want this to be over. Sorry Francis, I just... I didn't know how to tell them, I was going to wait until I got home.”

It will be soon, sweetheart, just give me a little more time – Alfred thought, smiling as he watched Gilbert and Antonio join the group in the library. Then, the group decided to move down to the café to get something to eat. And this was Alfred’s cue to excuse himself to the bathroom, where he quickly passed and made his way outside, and after a few minutes of researching Alfred was on the phone to campus security.

“Y-yes, hello?” Alfred asked, putting on a European accent, he didn’t even know which country he was supposed to be pretending to be from, but he supposed that wouldn’t matter much, not with what he was going to say to campus security. “Hello—Yes, there is an international student: Gilbert Beilschmidt. I saw him put a knife in his bag, I followed him into the library, now the group is moving to the café, in the plaza! I’m scare he will hurt someone!... Yes! I am a student! He has concealed a knife in a black fabric bag, and placed it in his bag! I followed him! He has light hair, pale skin, wearing a lot of black! He is sitting at the main table on the ground floor of the library! He is wearing a black-shirt, a red and black plaid shirt over it, and black jeans! Please, hurry, he is being loud, I think he will hurt someone! … Yes! Please be discreet, I am scared he will hurt me if he learns I did this! Thank you!”  
Alfred smirked as he made his way back into the library, knowing that he probably had less than 10 minutes until campus security came to carry out a ‘random inspection.’

As soon as Alfred re-joined the group, they moved to the Plaza, which was a few minutes’ walk away, and still indoors, with a large skylight that illuminated the space with it's bright but cold light. But, when Arthur sat down at the bench, Alfred noticed Francis and Lovino nod at each other, and Lovino put his arms over Arthur’s shoulders, “Come and get some tea with me!” Lovino said, and Arthur laughed.

“Yeah, sure,” Arthur agreed, rising from his seat and leaving his bag behind, and as soon as Arthur disappeared into the café, Francis picked up Arthurs bag and stared to look through.

“What are you doing?” Alfred asked, trying to not sound as pissed as felt as he watched Francis rummage through Arthur stuff.

“Ah-Ha! I knew it!” Francis hissed as he pulled out a packet of cigarettes from the bottom of Arthur’s bag, “Dammit… He’s falling back again…”

“What?” Gilbert asked.

“Arthur and I are on a quit streak, we decided to quit last year and made it a competition, whoever caves in first has to be the others slave for a week.” Francis explained, “Shit… I knew the stress was getting to him.”

“Oh fuck, that may be my fault too. If I had known he was meant to be quitting, I wouldn’t have let him join me,” Gilbert admitted, catching the box of cigarettes when Francis threw them at him. “I won’t let him now.”

“Aww…” Matthew sighed, “If Arthur’s willing to risk losing a bet like that, just how stressed is he?”

Alfred frowned, even though he didn’t like Arthur being a smoker, he knew he could change this—he would make Arthur stop for him.

“Does that mean that Arthur’s lost?” Antonio asked.

Francis frowned, “I haven’t seen him, so I wont count it… Gilbert, how much have you two done it?”

Even with the context, that question made Alfred’s hairs stand on end. He didn’t like it, now he was looking around for campus security.

“Hmm…” Gilbert muttered, “Twice. I won’t do it near him now, I promise.”

“Maybe you should even look at quitting yourself…” Matthew grumbled, looking away from Gilbert as he crossed his arms over his chest, as Arthur and Lovino re-joined the group, carrying their cups of tea.

Finally, Alfred saw the campus security officers as approached in their black padded uniforms, with their eyes set firmly on the group as the few remaining members gathered around the bench.

“Excuse me,” One officer said, taking the attention of the group, “Campus security, conducting a random search.”

“Hang on, why?” Gilbert asked.

“Just a random search, sir, please, may we look inside of all of your bags?” The officer asked.

“What is this about?” Lovino asked, but Alfred and Matthew had already handed their bags to the officers, letting them search. And quickly, the rest of the group complied, seeing that it probably wouldn’t be a wise idea to be non-compliant with campus security. Finally, Alfred watched with wide eyes as one officer took Gilberts bag, and started to rummage through, and Alfred couldn’t help but smile when the officer frowned, looking into Gilberts bag deeper than he had the others.

Even Gilbert noticed this, frowning, “Is there a problem?”

“What’s going on…?” Matthew asked

Suddenly, the officer pulled out the black fabric bag, and Gilbert gasped, “What the—that isn’t mine!”

And then, the moment of glory, the officer opened the black fabric bag, and everything ended up sitting on the bench, the plastic packets of suspicious product, some cash and the knife. Instantly, the group reacted, gasping in shock.

“Gilbert, what the fuck!?” Alfred asked, trying to act as surprised as he could, despite how hard he was fighting the urge to laugh manically. Gilbert looked like he was about to have a breakdown, his entire face paled as he stared down at the stuff that the officer pulled out of his bag.

 _“NO!”_ Gilbert snapped, stepping back as two of the officer approached him, “No! That stuff isn’t mine! I don’t know how that got there!!”

“I’m afraid you’ll have to come with us,” The officer explained getting closer to the clearly panicked German.

 _“Gilbert…”_ Matthew shuddered as the German looked to him, with eyes that were begging for help as the officers got closer, surrounding the German like a trio of wolves, and as the Germans friends watched on with wide eyes, shocked by what had been pulled out of Gilbert's bag.

“What the hell is this stuff?!” Antonio asked.

“Oh my God…” Francis gasped, placing his hand over his mouth in heartbreak.

 _“None of it is mine!”_ Gilbert snapped, looking as though he was about to snap or have a break down, the German started to tremble as his eyes became as red as his cheeks. Alfred found this fantastic, Gilberts reaction was better than he expected, he was going to start crying! Gilbert glanced at Matthew, his eyes wide with shock and pain, but Matthew stepped back into Alfred, his face tense from the shock of the cruel surprise.

No one in the group could have seen this coming, so how could they link it to Arthur’s stalker…? As Alfred expected, the results of his actions were swift, effective, humiliating, and so painful – the entire group wouldn’t have a choice but to believe what Alfred wants them to believe!

“What the fuck is this stuff doing in you bag, Gilbert?!” Arthur gasped, looking at Gilbert with a look of shock and disgust, a face that was mutually shared amongst the group. Alfred wanted nothing more than to put his arm around Arthur and give Gilbert the finger, but he knew what that would mean for him if he did. While he had fun imagining these things, and watching the chaos unfold, Alfred had to remember to act shocked, he could not afford to stand out among the group, not now, not when he’s so close to his beloved…

 _“It’s not mine!! I don’t know how this stu- stuff got there! Oh Gott! Nicht! I—Oh fuck, fuck!!”_ Gilbert snapped, pulling his arm out of the grasp of the officer who tried to hold him. But that show of defiance only resulted in Gilbert being grabbed by the arm and guided to the wall of the café. _“THAT IS NOT MINE! WHAT THE FUCK!?”_

Oh Lord, this was getting better by the second, every time Gilbert fought the accusation; he only made it worse for himself, and the fact that he was in the midst of a breakdown made Alfred only want to jump for joy. No one in the group, nor the university would want to be associated with him now, especially after they search Gilberts room and find what else Alfred planted. Alfred had tried his best to tie up every loose end with this, and knew that he had a strong case against Gilbert, and wouldn’t have to lift a damn finger from this point forward.

As the rest of the group crumbled while Gilbert was escorted away in handcuffs, Alfred could not help but internally rejoice. He could consider Gilbert as good as gone, and he is one step closer to having Arthur all to himself…


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Erotomania is a type of delusional disorder where the affected person believes that another person is in love with them. During an erotomanic delusion, they believe that their victim is declaring his or her affection, often by special glances or other signals. But, any denial of affection by the object of this delusional love is dismissed as a ploy to conceal the forbidden love from the rest of the world.
> 
>  
> 
> Just letting you all know that the next chapter is going to be late by a few days! Thank you for reading, and don't be afraid to leave comments!

Instantly, the impact of what happened to Gilbert rocked through the entire group, everyone was left feeling shocked, hurt, confused and angry, and it could still be felt hours later. Of course they were going to be feeling this way, they just watched their friend get arrested! Alfred had to remember to pretend to be as shocked and hurt as the rest of the group, as he quickly learned that he couldn’t expect things to return to normal so fast.  
Especially with Arthur.

Arthur hardly spoke for the hours following Gilberts arrest, which Alfred didn’t mind; he didn’t need to speak to satisfy Alfred’s craving. But what Alfred did mind was how he rested against Francis, and even hugged him. Alfred’s eyes narrowed as he watched Francis place his arm around Arthur’s shoulders, holding the Englishman close as Arthur snuggled next to him on the couch, they even spoke quiet enough for Alfred to not hear.

Alfred was supposed to be celebrating getting rid of Gilbert, but instead he was seething over Francis. He should be the one who Arthur nuzzles up to when he’s upset! Not Francis! What did he have that the American didn’t?! Surely they’re not that close! Francis just kept pissing Alfred off, with every stare that they shared and every word they whispered left Alfred writhing with jealousy so badly, it hurt. He wanted to watch the Frenchman burn for how much he's hurt Alfred. It physically hurt for him to see the way they looked at each other, knowing that he would be much better suited for Francis’ position… Francis couldn’t make Arthur half as happy as Alfred could…

He just needs to make Arthur see that too.

But Francis was in the way, as he sneakily took photos of the pair from where he sat, Alfred quickly convinced himself that Francis was the mastermind of the conspiracy, the one who was keeping Arthur away from him the most. And so, Alfred decided that he deserved the worst punishment, he had been too close to Arthur for too long, and he was starting to get on Alfred’s last nerve. To Alfred, Francis used to seem untouchable, he was too close to Arthur for Alfred to do anything, and he knew so little about him…

While he had stalked Francis’ social media in the past, he knew that he would have to go deeper if he wanted to dig up any dirt on Francis…  
Perhaps there is something he could use against him. But then again… just what would it take to get Arthur away from him? What would Alfred have to do to make Arthur turn against the Frenchman? Is that even possible? Or should he target Francis...? No... The man is fiercely loyal, he's the perfect test of Alfred's devotion, a test that Alfred was more than ready to pass.

Alfred frowned as he tilted his phone screen away from Antonio so the Spaniard who was sitting next to Alfred on the couch. Alfred looked through the photos that he had taken that day, seeing that he had taken a few dozen, which was smaller compared to usual days. Usually, Alfred wouldn’t check his photos in the presence of others, but Alfred had lost his patience, he needed to crop Francis out of the photos so he won’t need to stare at him later!

But as Alfred looked through the photos of Arthur and Francis together, he watched the photos Francis’ face change as the Frenchman looked around. And then, he saw it, and Alfred nearly screamed when he scrolled to a photo of Arthur curled under the Frenchman’s arm, so Alfred couldn’t see his face, but Francis … Francis was looking right at him—perhaps even right at the camera! Alfred could read the Frenchman’s confused, yet concerned expression, like he was asking himself whether Alfred could really be recording them!

Alfred felt his entire body go cold as he had to hold back his reaction and remain as stoic as he could, he was even too stunned to look up and check if Francis was watching him. But he knew what the answer was already, he could feel the eyes on the Frenchman weigh him down, waiting for Alfred to react, waiting to confirm his ideas! For the first time, Alfred was the one feeling like a deer caught in headlights, he felt cornered or spied on... Alfred didn’t know whether it was by chance, or intentional, but the longer he stared at Francis’ face in the photo, the more he convinced himself that Francis was definitely staring at him…

The Frenchman really was more of a threat than Alfred anticipated...

This brought Alfred back to the reality that he still has work to do, he still needs to get rid of Francis before he can actually claim Arthur as his…

And this just kicked Alfred’s plans into overdrive, he knew now that he had to get rid of Francis before he got any suspicions…

 _“Oh my God… It’s him…”_ Lovino gasped quickly and under his breath, as though speaking of a social taboo, which stole Alfred’s attention, as well as the entire groups. For a moment, Alfred had gone stone cold, thinking that the Italian was talking about him, but luckily, Lovino's eyes were somewhere else.  
It was Gilbert, being escorted by two police officers and a representative of the college. Gilbert looked tired, defeated and utterly depressed. Gilbert looked to the group with wide eyes, and his lips pursed like he was about to say something, but he was led through the common area too fast for him to say anything.

But then again, what could have he said to the friends he was arrested in front of, who all think he’s a drug dealer?

“They must be searching his room…” Antonio pointed out. “Do you think they’d actually find something?”

“I-I hope not!” Matthew stuttered.

“I still can’t believe he had that stuff in his bag!” Francis hissed, “I thought he was better than that!”

 _“I wonder what else they’ll find in his room,”_ Alfred pointed out, surprised to see that Francis didn’t even look at him after he said that, “I wonder how much of that stuff he’s sold to people on campus…”  
Alfred knew that if he kept suggesting these things to the group, it would effectively plant seeds of doubt, and shred any hope that Gilbert had of maintaining their friendships.

“Do you think he could have been… _you know_ … Whenever we went out…?” Lovino asked, his eyes darting to other members of the group, effectively planting a seed of his own. Once again, Lovino was a blessing to Alfred, without even realising it.

“I wonder if he’s a user too,” Alfred suggested.

 _“Oh God…”_ Antonio shivered, his hands falling into his hands at Alfred’s suggestion; like Alfred’s idea chilled him to the bone, “What if he’s addicted to it too?!”

“Gil’s not like that!” Matthew snapped, stealing everyone’s attention, even Arthur looked up from Francis’ shoulder to see what was going on as Matthew rose from his place on the rug by the couches, and marched off. To which, Alfred quickly followed, frowning as he caught up to his brother while he was marching up the staircase, intending to follow Gilbert and the officers.

“Hey! Are you ok?” Alfred asked.

“I can’t believe this, Gilbert isn’t that kind of guy! He…” Matthew explained before sighing, and stopping in his place on the staircase, “He’s not like that…”

“Matt…” Alfred sighed, seeing the hurt in Matthews eyes as he looked down at the ground, his hands tightening into his fists. Alfred had no clue what else to say, he had never expected Matthew to take this so deeply… It surprised him. Was he really in denial...?

“I’ve just gotta talk to him, I need to find out why!” Matthew replied as he turned around, and he and Alfred continued to walk up the stairs. When he and Matthew reached the top of the staircase, they saw one police officer standing by Gilbert’s door, where Gilbert, the other officer and the college representative were in Gilbert’s room.

Matthew was about to make his way to the officer, but then, he froze at the sight of Gilbert standing by with his arms crossed over his chest, looking as though he was about to shatter. But, unlike his brother, Alfred was loving the sight.  
But then, the German shuddered like his world had come crashing down around him, and Alfred knew exactly why.

 _“THAT IS NOT MINE!!”_ Gilbert suddenly snapped, and Matthew visibly shivered, and while that reaction told Alfred a lot, it left him with so many other questions. _“NO!! NO!! I DID NOT PUT THAT THERE!! THIS IS FUCKING BULLSHIT!! THIS IS NOT MINE!!”_

“Mr. Beilschmidt—”

 _“NO!”_ Gilbert snapped in a distressed tone, one that was desperate even, like the man was truly destroyed. Alfred couldn't help but smirk a little as he watched Gilbert disappear into is room, and out of Matthew and Alfred’s sights as he started to yell and argue in German.

 _“Oh God…”_ Matthew gasped, his hands raising to his mouth as he stumbled towards the bedroom.

“Matt… Don’t…” Alfred whispered, grabbing at Matthews sleeve to stop him from moving any further, to which caught the officer’s attention, to which Alfred only gestured that they’re fine, when Matthew clearly was not. But Alfred knew that the officer immediately read the situation and minded his own business.

“I… I can’t fucking believe this…” Matthew grumbled as his hands trembled as Matthew led him back towards the wall, so Matthew could lean on it as he struggled to compose himself, listening to Gilbert’s protesting and approaching mental breakdown.

Alfred stayed with Matthew as he stood near the door to Gilberts bedroom, listening to Gilbert protesting his innocence, which did not seem to convince anyone, especially not Matthew, who crumbled more and more with every word. So much so, that Alfred felt compelled to put his arm around his little brother, taken aback by how powerful Matthew’s reaction was.  
But he still knew that this was the right thing to do, because Gilbert was never going to interfere with Arthur ever again… The German got what was coming to him, and Alfred regretted nothing.

Alfred waited with Matthew, he waited even past the time that the college representative had left, leaving Gilbert with the cops. But Alfred had to disappear for a few minutes to update the group, and as Alfred expected, everyone was hurt. Hurt that more evidence was found in Gilbert’s room, which only showed that Alfred’s plan was working.

No one had made the connection between Gilberts situation and Arthur’s stalking… Why would they? Both cases seem so unrelated… Alfred was so proud of his plan, he had to physically hold himself back from letting his smirk show for too long as he walked back to the residence corridors, where he knew that Matthew was waiting. However, Matthew was gone, but he could still hear his voice, and this time, both police officers were standing by the door to Gilbert’s room, which remained wide open. Wide enough for Alfred to see Matthew and Gilbert together when he got close enough, after telling the policemen that he knew them.

Gilbert was sitting on his bed with his head in his hands and tears down his cheeks as Matthew stood in front of him, also crying and with his arms wrapped tightly across his chest. Neither of them had noticed that Alfred was there.

“Matt, please,” Gilbert said with a defeated tone in his voice, “Don’t look at me like that…”

“Well, what else am I supposed to do, they find this stuff in your bag and in your room! —”

“I never put them there!” Gilbert interrupted, “I’ve never touched drugs like that in my life!”

“Gil, please…” Matthew stuttered, sounding like he had just been hit.

“I didn’t! I swear! I don’t know where all of that came from! I’m not that kind of person! Please, you know it wasn’t me—”

Matthew suddenly growled through his teeth, in a way that Alfred had never heard him do before, _“Do you think I’m stupid?”_

“Wha— Y-you don’t believe me… do you…?” Gilbert asked, stuttering as the reality of the situation hit him hard, and he realised that Matthew didn’t come to be on his side.

“Do you really blame me, just tell the truth already!” Matthew said, Alfred could hear it in his brother’s voice that he was starting to get tired of this.

“But I am!”

“HOW!?” Matthew snapped, “How is that the truth!?”

“I don’t know! All I know is that stuff is not mine and I never put it there!” Gilbert replied, becoming defensive.

“Oh my Goood! Have you been telling me the truth at all during this semester!?”  
At this question, both Alfred and Gilbert froze, and Alfred wondered what Matthew was talking about, whereas Gilbert stared at Matthew like he had just been slapped.

“T-This isn’t about that! And yes, I have never lied to you and am not now! What the fuck!? I’m not going to say I did this because _I DIDN’T!”_ Gilbert snapped, even going so far as to snarl at the Canadian, prompting Alfred to hold himself back from intervening. No one talks to his brother like that...  
But it seemed that Matthew was holding his ground rather well, judging by how emotional he was before.

“Gil, you are really testing me here…” Matthew muttered, “Don’t lie to me!”

_“I’M NOT!”_

Matthew groaned loudly as he slapped his thighs with his hands, clearly becoming irritated, which only made Alfred wonder more as to why he cared so much. “Ooh! So, I’m supposed to believe that someone put drugs, knives and wads of cash in your bag and room! Come on, Gil, _really?!”_

“YES!”

“Alright, who and how do you prove it?” Matthew asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

“I… I don’t know...” Gilbert muttered, pausing for a moment to think, until his eyes widened and he looked at Matthew, who flinched at the sight, “Arthur—Arthur has that stalker, he did that thing to—”

“No! N- _no!_ That is so unrelated! You are not dragging Arthur’s situation into this just to save your ass!” Matthew snapped, “As-fucking-if he’s that desperate! I don’t think Arthur would be too pleased either that you’re wanting to use his pain as a scapegoat!”

“How else can it be explained!?”

“Not by using Arthur’s problem to excuse yourself, ass! How about you start telling the truth and take some fucking responsibility!?”

“Wow, you don’t need to insult me! Honestly, I thought I could rely on you, you’re my last hope and you don’t even believe me, some fucking friend you are!” Gilbert spat, rising from his bed to start directly into Matthew’s face.

And Matthew was having none of it as he turned to leave, but looked back long enough to give Alfred the time he needed to move out of sight, “URGH! You know what, I’m fucking done trying to help you – _good luck Gilbert!”_

 _“Fine!”_ Gilbert snapped, but his expression seemed complete different from his words, he was angry,  but also knew that he most certainly was not fine... “I don’t need you! Or anybody! I know that I did not do this!!”

Matthew had his eyes closed when Alfred saw him leave Gilberts bedroom, he quietly thanked the officers as he turned to look at Alfred. Despite how Matthew tried to smile, Alfred could tell that Matthew was struggling to even do that, and Alfred could see the sadness in the Canadians baby-blue eyes. Matthew looked defeated and stressed… something that Alfred rarely saw individually and never in combination. It even made him feel sympathy for Matthew, he never intended for his brother to be impacted by this...

But in the end, Alfred knew that sacrifices had to be made, and as Matthew came closer, Alfred’s own face remained completely blank as he felt completely remorseless for his actions. He didn’t feel sorry for Gilbert, because the German was in his way.

“Come on, Al…” Matthew whispered, resting his hand on Alfred’s shoulder as he walked by him, “Let’s go home.”

“Right…”

\----

Later that night, Alfred was updated through messages from Antonio, he learned that representatives from the German consulate had gone to speak to Gilbert, and he was still refusing to admit any wrongdoing. Alfred could only chuckled as he watched the group-chat continue, seeing the others messages about how ‘disappointed’ and ‘hurt’ they were by the situation. This plan was working far better than the one with Ivan, because no one is questioning it and they're all thinking exactly what Alfred wants them to think, even Francis has been completely tricked.

Francis even pointed out that he and Antonio were so close with Gilbert, and that they ‘really thought he wasn’t that kind of person.’ Which Alfred couldn't help but chuckle as he read, and wrote a sympathetic reply, pretending to be just as blindsided as them.  
Sadly, Arthur wasn’t present in the chat, and when Alfred checked, he was even more disappointed to see that he wasn’t even online, and hadn’t posted anything new since Halloween. Alfred pouted, so sad that he didn't have anything knew to gawk at. And then Alfred remembered that he hadn’t left Arthur any letters this week, perhaps if he brings this up in his next one, Arthur could be encouraged to do more.

Seeing that it was already late at night, Alfred knew that if he wanted to have a letter to deliver tomorrow, he’d need coffee to stay awake long enough to perfect it.  
And so, he left his bedroom and walked down out into the living area, where he could see that the kitchen light was on, which could only mean that Matthew would have been in there. Alfred frowned as he walked into the kitchen, seeing that Matthew was leaning against the bench, staring at the steaming mug of tea that he held in his two hands. Even from across the kitchen, Alfred recognised the depressed hue in Matthew’s eyes, like a storm-cloud was brewing over the Canadians head.

“Hey, are you ok?” Alfred asked, finally getting Matthews attention as he entered the kitchen.

Matthew muttered, unconvincingly, “I’m fine.”

Alfred chuckled as he shoved his hands into the pockets of his grey track pants, his eyebrows raising with both curiosity and concern. He even smiled sweetly at Matthew as he avoided Alfred’s gaze, knowing what kind of interrogation was coming “Dude, you know you can’t lie to me, what’s wrong?”

“Gilbert…”

Alfred suddenly froze and his smile disappeared, “Oh…”

Matthew sighed through his teeth before looking at Alfred, finally showing the American the extent of his sudden depression, “I don’t believe him, and I shouldn’t… but… I just can’t shake away the look in his eyes, or how he… I just don’t know. I feel like such an ass and I don’t know why.”

“Hey, hey: don’t let him get under your skin,” Alfred grumbled, placing his hands firmly on Matthew’s shoulders. Alfred did not want to deal with the German anymore, he wanted him out of his life, and now he had to deal with the issue again at home!

“But I cared about him, Al! I feel so stupid…”

What did Gilbert do to Matthew to make him suddenly care!? Alfred wanted to growl and ask this question, but he was more concerned with turning Matthew against him! He could deal with his curiosities later.

Alfred slightly shook Matthew by the shoulders, encouraging his younger brother to look Alfred in the eyes, “You’re not stupid, he is for doing it in the first place, and for thinking that he can drag you along for the ride. What a dick.”

Matthew frowned as he averted his gaze, like he had tasted something sour, “He was a really good guy… He was the last person I thought would ever…”

“Well, not all drug dealers stand in dark alleys and wear trench-coats,” Alfred stated bluntly.

Matthew shivered from both the volume of Alfred’s statement and the volume of it, but then, Alfred knew that Matthew would understand his concern, and see no other reason to doubt him. Matthew closed his eyes as he tilted his head down, “Right, but I just feel so off thinking about him like that! You know that feeling, when something just doesn’t make sense…”

Alfred frowned as his eyes darkened, not liking Matthews questioning… He knew that he had to fix this if Gilbert was going to be quickly isolated and eliminated. He could not leave any loose ends, otherwise… If Arthur connects the dots…

Alfred had never realised how much of a threat Matthew was to him until this point, and he decided then that he was not going to let Matthew leave the kitchen until he was on Alfred’s side, and only Alfred’s side.

“Yeah, but that’s how he probably wants you to feel,” Alfred begun, preparing himself to use all of the amo he had in his emotional-arsenal. He manipulated Ivan in the past, so he figured that Matthew wouldn’t be much different, he  _can't_ let Matthew become an enemy, not now... “You can’t let him drag you into this – you don’t want to be associated with a drug dealer, what would mom and dad say?! Besides, Gilbert always seemed _fake_  to me. Hell, he must think that he could convince people that he wasn’t doing that, despite all of the evidence! He’s a fucking douche, and he thinks he has you wrapped around his finger!”

Alfred couldn’t help but smile when he saw Matthew’s jaw tighten, before he grumbled through his teeth, _“That fucking douche…”_

“That’s right!” Alfred cheered smiling when Matthew looked up at him, and gave Alfred the same determined smile, but for a completely different reason.

_“He made me care about him!”_

Alfred changed his smile to a sweet one, as he placed his forehead against Matthew, before promising, “I’m not gonna let him drag you down with him. You’re a good friend and a good person, Matt; but some people just can’t be helped.”  
He was relived, so fucking relieved... 

Matthew sighed deeply, before hissing, “He’s made me feel like shit!”

“That’s what he probably wants. He probably thinks you’re gonna go back to him, apologise and help him,” Alfred explained, watching Matthew fall deeper into his trap.

 _“I won’t.”_ Matthew spat.

“Damn right!”

Matthew closed his eyes and yelled, as though he was both telling himself this as well as Alfred, “Fuck him!”

“Attaboy!!” Alfred cheered as he released Matthew from his grip, confident that his little brother was not going to give him any trouble, especially in relation to Gilbert…

Alfred watched as Matthew abandoned his tea, and took the six-pack of beers that the brothers kept in the fridge, and after sharing a cheeky smile with Alfred, Matthew returned to his bedroom. When he was finally alone, Alfred let his true colours show and he couldn’t help but smirk as he returned to his bedroom with a steaming cup of hot coffee. For once, Alfred was not disturbed by the loud music that came from Matthew’s room, because he understood completely that Matthew needed his time alone.

Even Alfred had to admit that he was surprised, while he knew that Gilbert and Matthew spent a lot of time together, he didn’t think that they were that close. But even then, to Alfred; keeping Arthur as his was Alfred’s top priority, besides Gilbert had this coming, those videos from Halloween were the last straw, and Alfred was not going to show anymore mercy if they got in his way.

And so, he returned to his room and set himself down at his desk to pen his next letter.

\-----

_‘Believe me when I say that I am never going to give up on you, baby, or us. You have given me a new life, you have brought air into my lungs, blood into my veins and love into my heart. And I’m not going to let that go without a fight. I won’t ever let you go, my Darling. I love you, I love you so much._  
_I will never let anyone take you from me. I promise._

_I need to have you, I must have you… I must touch your soft skin, smell the vanilla in your shampoo and the camomile on your breath. Being near you is like satisfying dehydration, I feel alive when I see you, even when you don’t see me and even when I get close enough to touch you, to smell you… It is getting harder and harder for me to keep my distance from you… I fight every urge in my body because all I want to do is hold you and worship you like you deserve, like the angel you are, you are my angel and will be until the day I die. You will love it as much as I do, I know it – I just need to have one opportunity to claim you as mine forever, so we can finally live out the rest of our days together._

_Oh God, even just thinking about it makes my heart race… It makes my heart race so fast, I can barely take it, I need you… I need you so badly, it hurts. But don’t worry darling, someday our dream will be realised and I will have you as mine and mine alone. Mine to hold, love, kiss and touch…_

_I know I sound crazy, my darling Arthur, but I really am in love with you and I ain’t going anywhere without you, no force on this earth or in heaven will keep me from you. I won’t give up until you see me the way I see you, no matter how long it has to take, Sugar. I will just keep trying. I know you will see me with the same amount of devotion and passion. You and I will love each other until our dying days, you won’t need anyone else once you know what I can give you. I really am in love with you, and these letters don’t even begin to describe it, all 53 of them, well 54, once you count this one._

_And Baby, I’ve gotta admit that I am not ashamed to say my photo collection of you has gotten rather extensive. But I’m proud of it, and I hope you like the collage I made of all of my favourite photos, but who am I kidding, they’re all my favourite! Especially the ones where it seems like you’re looking right at me! I want you to see what you look like to me, sweetheart, you’re so beautiful its almost unreal, and – while the camera loves you, it does nothing to capture your true beauty. Just keep smiling for me, sweetheart. I’m watching.’_

 

Alfred’s train of thought was again interrupted by a loud thud that came from the room next door, Matthews bedroom. He had ignored it twice now, but since he was nearly a full page into his letter, he needed to concentrate so he wouldn’t need to start again. He rose from his desk and left his bedroom, quickly changing his facial expression to someone who just wanted to get some sleep.

After knocking on the door to his brother’s bedroom, Alfred walked in, before being surprised to see Matthew lying on his bed, watching his ceiling fan spin on the ceiling without a shirt on. Alfred chuckled when Matthew lazily tilted his head to look at him—it didn’t take long for the American to figure out that his brother had a fair bit to drink.

“Hey, aren’t you cold?” Alfred asked, pointing to the ceiling fan.

“I stopped caring, I just need something to stare at,” Matthew slurred, moving over so Alfred could lie on the bed next to him, and stared at the ceiling fan as his span at the fastest setting, sending the cold air circulating through the bedroom. It actually felt pretty nice to have the strong breeze push against him, and the buzzing fan noise wasn't too annoying either. “I’ve been thinking a lot, about, about what’s been going on…”

“Mm?” Alfred murmured as he laid on his side and rested his head so he could stare into Matthews eyes, seeing the drunken haze hinder what used to be passionate blue.

“I still can’t get the hurt on Gilberts face out of my head, either I cared about him more than I thought, or he’s an amazing actor, fuck,” Matthew explained, frowning as he stared at the ceiling fan again, his eyes spinning along with the wings.

Alfred frowned, “How close were you two?”

At this question, Matthew frowned before he closed his eyes and sighed deeply, which only worsened the sickening feeling in Alfred’s stomach. Which was only made worse when Matthew said, “I should have told you…”

“Told me what?”

“Remember the night where most of us went to the Korean Bar, and Gilbert and I returned to the dorms a bit drunk, then I helped him to his room?”  
The night where Gilbert dared to kiss Arthurs forehead after showering him in bullshit, yes, Alfred remembers that well.

“Yes…”

“When I helped him into his room…” Matthew explained, before groaning deeply, _“He kissed me.”_

“Oh my God!” Alfred gasped. Alfred didn’t know how to feel about this, Gilbert was doing all of these things with Arthur, and yet he had the audacity to come onto Matthew like this!! “What did you do?!”

“Well, I fucking _PANICKED!”_ Matthew growled as he brought his hands to his face, as though hiding himself from eyes in the ceiling, “I’ve never been with a guy before, nor did I think that one would come onto me! Like, at first, I thought he did it on accident until he said something to me in German. And I’m not gonna lie, I have no clue what he said but it sounded pretty hot: for German! HOo! BUT! It threw me through a hoop, because I never expected to be confronted by this!”

“What do you mean?”

“Like, being into men isn’t a bad thing! And I will admit, I have been curious before and even I’d swoon over some hot male actors—but I never fucking thought I’d be surprised kissed by a guy and suddenly question my sexuality!” Matthew explained, “Like, if I was completely straight, I would have told him to not do that again, but here’s the thing: I don’t think I am completely straight! I genuinely considered pursuing a relationship with him! But I just didn’t know whether I was ready! FUCK! And at the same time, I’m in college, I should be experimenting anyway, I—”

“Matt, calm.” Alfred grumbled, trying as hard as he could to be supportive.

“Right…” Matthew sighed, “A week later, Gilbert apologised for it, and admitted that he always thought I was a really nice guy. And that… That’s when I told him that I’m thinking that I may like him too, but I needed some time to figure out whether being with a man was really the right thing for me, you know…”

“Yeah…”

"I wanted to tell you, God, you have no idea how badly I wanted to tell you about this," Matthew explained, "But you've been so distant lately, and at the same time, I didn't want to say anything until I had a clearer idea of what I wanted to do. And I was freaked out by the idea of having to confront it myself, you know... You just came out, and I don't want to take that from you by being the one to go out with a guy-- well, consider it, _considered it,_ that flew out the window once fucking narcotics came out of his backpack!"

"That's ok," Alfred replied.

“Heh… He was so patient with me, he never pushed me to answer him or tried anything. He really let me ponder over it,” Matthew sighed, “So, you can imagine how heartbroken I was to learn that he’s been doing this awful thing the entire time.”

“Yeah, it was shocking, I never thought he’d be the kind of guy to be dealing! I wonder if he only smokes tobacco…”

Matthew sighed deeply, “He was so nice and sweet and kind… Oh my God, that fucking dick-head made me care about him!”

“I wonder if he wanted to use you as a drug-mule—”

“Don’t fucking say that!!” Matthew hissed as he smacked Alfred on the shoulder, “Now I’m hung-up on a guy I didn’t even know if I wanted in the first place!”

Matthew groaned loudly as he rolled over onto his stomach with his face in his hands. Alfred didn’t know how he should act, he wanted to be there for Matthew. But at the same time: he knew that he was the cause of it and didn’t regret what he did in the slightest. Alfred found himself caught between his two loves, his brother and his sweetheart.

“There, there…” Alfred murmured sincerely as he put his arm over Matthew’s shoulders. “At least you weren’t in too deep, but I know you’ll find someone one day who’ll answer all of your questions. You’re thinking too much right now…”

“I should just let him go,” Matthew muttered, “Forget him.”

“Exactly,” Alfred agreed, thankful that Matthew couldn’t see the chilling smile that curved his lips, knowing that he’s secured Gilbert’s isolated fate, and Matthew was not going to be a threat to Alfred’s possession of Arthur.

If anything, learning that there was even the possibility of Gilbert being interested in Matthew made him hate the German more, as it would have only made him a bigger threat to Alfred. If anything, Alfred told himself that he had a perfect sense of timing: as he could only imagine how distraught Matthew would be if something had actually happened between them by the time Alfred had taken care of Gilbert, or if Gilbert had done anything with Arthur before Alfred could prevent it. And now, Arthur was going to be his and everything was going to be fine...

There's just a few more things that Alfred had to take care of first...


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What makes delusional stalkers so terrifying and hard to deter is their tendency to objectify their victims. They stop seeing them as people, but rather as objects for them to possess and control. This makes it hard for stalkers to actually listen to their victim, which means protests or rejections go unheard, or are even completely ignored.
> 
> Yay, my schedule is back to normal now! In the spirit of the occasion I want to say that I wish everyone a happy new year!

He was so beautiful… Even just thinking about the Englishman brought Alfred into a state of pure bliss, like he was high.  
Alfred smiled as he rolled onto his stomach, thinking about how Arthurs hair fell perfectly around his symmetrical face, bordering his gorgeous features, including his soft pink. But, Alfred’s favourite was his eyes, because he loved how they were so deeply green, seductive and alluring, Alfred couldn't help but feel like he was asking Alfred for a kiss with his stare alone... He had Alfred caught in his web, and Alfred was happy about it. 

Just thinking about Arthur, thinking about his eyes, his smile and his voice left Alfred absolutely smitten, Oh God... Alfred smiled as he felt the heat rush through his entire body, Arthur was just so --- Mmmm... 

Alfred couldn't help himself... Intoxicated by these devious thoughts, Alfred grunted as he closed his eyes and bit the fabric of his pillow to silence himself as he shuffled into position. Needing to see Arthur's smile to push him through, Alfred took out his phone and quickly scrolled through the thousands of photos he had of Arthur in his camera roll, needing to find the perfect one. 

He finally settled on one, it was a picture of Arthur as he looked off to the side, probably staring into space. He looked as though he was staring at something he liked, which made the picture-perfect material for Alfred. Alfred could even remember taking it, he quickly took it as he was walking towards the group, and then he cropped out everyone else out of the photo later. 

If Alfred tried hard enough, he could convince himself that Arthur was looking at him, smiling... the sunlight making his wide eyes shine like pools of green, like a forest, a forest that Alfred wanted to get lost in. 

"Fuck!" Alfred hissed as lifting his hips enough to snake his hand underneath his body, knowing that he needed to release his pent-up energy if he was going to be able to see Arthur that morning and control himself. "Arthur…” 

He wanted him, he wanted him so fucking badly... 

"Arthur ... Ah-Arthur..."

His smile, his face, his body, his voice, his... everything. Only Arthur could make him feel like this. He was going to do all it took to have him, to make Arthur his. Alfred was going to anything to love, own and cherish Arthur. He didn't care what it took. 

Alfred closed his eyes tightly, struggling to breathe as he filled his mind with Arthur, and only Arthur. He let his imagination run wild with devious and sinful thoughts of Arthur, as well as not limited to thoughts of him conquering every enemy, and conquering Arthur... In his mind, Arthur smiled for him, loved him with every ounce of his being, and gave Alfred everything he wanted and so much more. Arthur was Alfred's dream come true. He had to have him, or Alfred's world wouldn't be right, now that he's had a taste of Arthur, he was never going to let go. 

On the verge, Alfred glanced back at the photo of Arthur on his phone, using it to finish the last leg of the race. His image alone made Alfred pant like a dog and growl into the pillow, as he lost all control of himself and came down from his high. But he still couldn't stop smiling as he stared at Arthur's photo, hypnotised by his smile.

Alfred continued to pant, feeling his entire body shiver from the sedating arousal. He didn't want it to be over, he wanted to spend all day with Arthur; even if it was only in his mind. In his fantasy, he and Arthur could spend all day lying in his bed if they wanted, only needing each other's company to be satisfied. He could imagine it, he could imagine him and Arthur cuddling in bed after a night of mind-blowing lovemaking. He'd smile at Arthur like the guy was his entire world, and Arthur would only share that smile... then they would kiss and cuddle, and perhaps even start another session... it was going to be perfect marital bliss...

Alfred could have laid there all day and imagine it, but his alarm went off, and Alfred got out of bed to start the day.

As he got ready for the day, he couldn't help but think about his current situation, so far, there are only two people left who he considered as a threat to Alfred. However, he couldn't think too long about the people he and to get rid of, he's noticed that ever since Gilbert was taken away, Alfred's list of things to do has gotten shorter and shorter... 

Alfred was so close to having Arthur to himself, he could almost taste him...

\----

Alfred delivered Arthur's letter with nearly no trouble, he knew that he no longer had to worry about Gilbert chasing him from the building, however, the experience gave Alfred enough wisdom to know that he shouldn't linger around Arthur's door longer than he needed to, despite how hard it was, knowing that Arthur was in there. 

Alfred smiled as he pressed his forehead to the painted wood of the door in his own little way of saying hello to Arthur, knowing that his sweetheart was in there, probably getting ready for the day, maybe getting dressed. Alfred got excited just thinking about it, and he had to fight the temptation to not walk away, hell, it took all of his energy for Alfred to not break in there. Besides, this time he knew that the group was downstairs waiting for him, he was only using the 'I'm going to the bathroom' excuse. 

Alfred smiled as he set up his letter, his collage that he folded inside of the envelope, and the present. This time he got something special for Arthur's present. He ordered a teddy bear online, that was carrying a love heart made from the Union Jack! Arthur would love it! 

Alfred couldn't help but imagine what Arthur's room looked like now, considering all of the gifts Alfred had given him. Ever since Alfred learned a few weeks previously that Arthur wasn't eating the food that Alfred gave him, so Alfred resorted to giving him only gifts. He's given him a variety of presents, everything from teddy bears, colognes, flowers, underwear and even a watch. Alfred had debated getting Arthur some adult toys, but he quickly realised that he didn't want Arthur using anything without him! He’ll have to save those presents for when they're together... 

Quickly, he returned to the group, well, what remained of it. 

Antonio and Lovino kept to themselves, and Matthew sat down on his phone while trying to probably not look as depressed as he felt. Whereas Francis was sitting as though he was by himself, with his leg crossed over his lap, and arms crossed over his chest. His eyes narrowed as soon as he noticed Alfred returning to the group, and to his place next to Matthew. 

Alfred knew that Francis was watching him and he knows why: he's not stupid and neither is the Frenchman. But Alfred wasn't afraid of him, he was willing to let Francis be curious about him. Because of how he got rid of Gilbert: Alfred felt invincible. He could convince anyone of anything if he wanted: he's done it twice already, one of which was to his own brother.

Alfred felt unstoppable, powerful and in control, and he was not going to let Francis ruin that for him. He hated the Frenchman with every bone in his body, and could not wait for the day that he could shoot him down and take his place by Arthur's side-- it didn't matter if they were 'just friends' or not. Alfred could see it in Francis eyes as he looked at Arthur, he told himself that it wasn't his paranoia or jealousy-- he could see it, Francis loved Arthur. And Alfred was going to destroy it, if it was the last thing he did...

But, Alfred hid his animosity perfectly, he even gave the Frenchman an innocent smile as he relaxed on the couch, knowing that Francis had nothing on him but an inkling, hah-- Francis can't do shit to him, and he knows it! 

Alfred just couldn't wait to act it out...

"Francis," Antonio murmured, which made Francis shudder, as though he had just been pulled out of a deep train of thought. "Have you heard anything new about Gilbert?" 

"Non..." Francis murmured as he scratched his temple, "I haven't heard anything new since we saw him on Saturday."  
WHAT? Alfred's eyes widened with the knowledge that Francis and Antonio had visited Gilbert, even this long after his arrest. At first, Alfred was worried that this was something that Alfred needed to address, but then, the look on the Frenchman and Spaniards face told Alfred otherwise. 

"Shame..." Antonio murmured, "He was such a good friend. I-- I can't believe he's done this." 

"What's going on with him?" Alfred asked, noticing that Matthews condition worsened, and the Canadian lowered his head and held on tighter to his phone. 

"He can't make the bail and the university doesn't want to house him, so he's staying at the Sheriffs office until his hearing next week." Antonio explained, "He could get anything between eight months to three years in prison, and he has to serve it in America, the consulate can't get him out of this..." Antonio's eyes narrowed as he held on tighter to Lovino's hand, and the Italian rested his head on Antonio's shoulder. "I just can't believe it, we all trusted him... So much..." 

Good... It looked like Alfred didn't have to do anything else to isolate Gilbert from the group. 

As quickly as the conversation started, it ended and the group fell back into silence, until Arthur finally joined the group, but immediately Alfred sensed that something was wrong, Arthur was holding himself tightly, as though he was about to break. His eyes were reddened and wet, glistening green against his pale skin. Arthur was even trembling, like he was really about to fall apart. 

Alfred rolled his eyes when Francis jumped from his seat and ran over to Arthur. Of course, he did, and of course he made it there before Alfred could lift himself from his seat. Alfred was sure that Francis was teasing him now, keeping Arthur under his arm as he guided the Englishman to sit next to him, his eyes wide with worry... Alfred's eyes narrowed as he watched Francis run his hand across Arthur's cheek as he spoke to him in French, probably saying things to keep him away from Alfred... 

"Hey, are you ok Arthur?" Matthew asked. 

"Y-yes..." Arthur stuttered.

"Oh God, no, you've gotten another one, haven't you?" Lovino asked, immediately reading the look of pain on Arthur's face.

It was that question which pushed Arthur over the edge, Arthur opened his mouth, probably to say that he was fine, but instead a choked sob came out. And once it started, he could not stop, Arthur's head fell to his knees as he released a louder cry.

"FUCK!!" Arthur snapped, gripping his hair tightly as he started to shake, trying to hold back the physical signs of his crying. "FUCKING FUCK!" 

"Arthur!" Alfred gasped, rising up to comfort him, but Francis quickly held him closer, and the space next to Arthur was taken by Antonio, and then Lovino and Matthew were by Arthur's knees and head, tying their best to comfort him. Alfred was frozen, seeing Arthur like this chilled him to the bone... He asked himself what could be wrong, and how could Alfred fix it? But he knew how to fix this, he can give Arthur his love and everything would be fine. 

But Arthur continued to growl and tremble, despite how hard Francis was holding him. No one stopped asking him what was wrong, but Arthur just couldn't bring himself to respond.

"Give him some space!" Alfred exclaimed, catching everyone's attention, and it seemed to have worked, as everyone gave Arthur a little more space, except for Francis; who's arm still remained firmly around Arthur and his eyes remained on Alfred.

"Look, I just-- I'm going to fucking SNAP-" Arthur stuttered, before taking a folded piece of paper out of his pocket, "I don't know what I'm going to fucking do-- he's pushed me into a corner and I feel like there's no way out! I'm drowning! He’s watching me, he's always fucking watching me! I don't know what to fucking do-- look at how many photos there are there!"

"Arthur..." Alfred whispered, watching as Francis started to unfold the paper. 

"Are you sure you want to show us this?" Francis asked. 

"This isn't the letter, this is what came with it..." Arthur grumbled, sounding defeated, "I don't know what to do. He could grab me at any moment, what if he's stronger than me? What if he wants to hurt me? What if he fucking kills me?! I can't sleep, I can't eat; I've lost so much weight and energy, I'm even scared to shower and sleep alone -- I-- I don't want to fucking exist!! I want this fucking semester to be over!" 

Shit! Alfred's done it again, hadn't he? He's freaked out Arthur AGAIN. Shit! SHIT!! Now Francis has his hands all over Arthur, and all Alfred could do was watch as Francis unfolded the paper, and Alfred immediately knew what it was. 

The paper had dozens of photos of Arthur on it, all from different days throughout the semester, taken from multiple angles and locations. Alfred was sure to include some that came from Arthur's Instagram-- the ones where he looks absolutely STUNNING.  
But... Alfred was also sure to not include ones that he took from close, just in case if someone realised that only Alfred could have taken them. 

Francis stared at the paper in stunned silence, staring down at every photograph of Arthur, his eyes widening after each one. 

"What does the letter say?" Matthew asked. 

"It's the usual. That I'm beautiful, he's going to have me no matter what, I'm his, only his-- he's not going to let me go, he wants to fuck me, I'm going to love him as much as he loves me--" Arthur explained. "I have no choice, I am his and going to be his until the day I die..." 

Good, he's learning. 

But Arthur wasn't done, "he's not going to let me go, fuck, what if he follows me to England? Oh my God--" Arthur was interrupted by his own sobbing, which only worsened Matthews reaction. "I don't know what to do! I'm going to have a fucking mental breakdown!!"

While the entire group was sympathetic and distressed to watch Arthur like this, Alfred was emotionally stumped. Was Arthur accepting his fate as Alfred's, or does he still have a little fight left in him? Alfred would have to fix that. He wouldn't cry if Alfred followed him to England, he wouldn't because Alfred would be going with him!  
Alfred's not letting Arthur on any plane if it's not with him, he will be sure of that!! This was starting to get irritating for Alfred, why was Arthur still fighti-- it must be Francis' fault! The Frenchman was there since day one, saying awful things about Alfred and his letters to Arthur, turning his love against him! 

Usually, Alfred would be upset to see Arthur reacting negatively, but Alfred had lost all patience. The last ounce of his sympathy was crushed like his heart when he watched those videos of Arthur dancing to 'Obsessed' with Gilbert, and cursing him... 

Alfred had no mercy, not for his rivals, and not for Arthur... He was doing this for them, after all: Alfred wanted to make Arthur so happy in their future, so it doesn't matter if he upsets him every now and then.  
It's a minor set back towards what was going to be a fantastic result. 

But Arthur continued to sob, which only increased Alfred's urge to hug him, "I'm fucked, I'm so fucked!"  
Alfred's eyes narrowed as he continued to stare at Arthur, watching his entire body shake.  
"Look at those photos-- there are so many, and-a this is only a FEW of them!! What the fuck?! What the fuck did I DO?! Why the fuck is this happening to me?! I'm-- I'm not THAT attractive, I don't fucking get it, what did I do to deserve this?!"

"Arthur, this isn't your fault!" Lovino exclaimed, rubbing Arthur's hair as he gritted his teeth, "It's his, he's sick in the head!"

"He's delusional!" Antonio added, "Please, don't let him destroy you!"

"But what else can I do?!" Arthur snapped, "I doubt he'd listen to me if I asked him to stop! Clearly he's set on what he wants and what he wants is me!" 

Suddenly, Arthur stood up and Matthew passed the piece of paper back to him, and after a few seconds of staring at the dedicated and detailed collage, he scrunched it in his hand as he released another deep wheeze. 

"Arthur --"

"Fuck this, fuck my classes, fuck everything, I'm staying in my room," Arthur snapped, "I'm not giving any more material for this freaks goddamn fap-collection!" 

Francis was the first to stand when Arthur stormed off, "Arthur, wait!" 

Alfred's eyes narrowed as Arthur turned around and took Francis in for a big hug, which instantly lit up the jealous fire within Alfred. The sight of Arthurs hands gripping on Francis' shirt made Alfred shiver, he hated it, he hated it so much-- Alfred should be the one holding Arthur closely and running his fingers through his hair, not Francis! 

The urge to attack ran wild through Alfred, and it took all of the Americans willpower to not launch himself at them as he watched the two of them rock back and forward as Arthur continued to cry into Francis neck. 

But then, more people rose and joined them, even Alfred. But still, being accepted into a group hug with the entire remaining group could not dim the passion of his anger. He felt like he was going to be sick, he couldn't even touch Arthur in the group hug because Francis kept his arms firmly in place; like he was actively trying to keep Alfred out of it. It was infuriating. 

\----- 

No matter how many times Alfred visited the international dorms over the next week and half, every time he was told the same things: 

"Arthur's in his room."  
"Sorry... He's still in his room."  
"Sorry, he's just gone back into his room."  
"He needs to sleep. He's in his room."  
"He hasn't come out... at all..." 

Alfred hasn't seen Arthur in over a week, and as each Arthur-less day passed, Alfred only got more and more desperate... A day without Arthur was like a day without food or water, Alfred went to bed every night feeling empty and unsatisfied. He quickly became irritable and cranky, like he was suffering from withdrawal and it only worsened after every day. 

There was also the fact that Francis was occasionally missing too, and Alfred was being told that he was with Arthur... 

He needed Arthur like a desperate addict craved a fix. He knew he wasn't going to be satisfied until he saw Arthur and heard his voice, even if it was just a soft hello... He needed to know that Arthur was safe. 

Alfred was sure to express this concern in his letters. He reminded Arthur of how much he loved him, and he told him about how much he missed seeing his beautiful face, and how badly he wants to update his photo collection... 

'You haven't been coming out much lately, darling, are you not feeling well? I take notice of these things sweetheart, and if I don't see you soon, I'm gonna have to come and find you~' 

Not even that letter brought Arthur out from hiding, and Alfred couldn't help but feel like Francis was involved. 

Alfred had gotten extremely impatient by day ten, and ten days without Arthur was more than Alfred could bare. And so, he took the first opportunity to get away from the group, and made his way up to Arthur's room, intending to not only deliver another letter, but perhaps try to get into Arthur's room...

He had the entire thing planned out, he was going to knock on Arthur's door, and present the letter and rose himself, saying that he found it in front of his door. Arthur would then let Alfred into his room, where they would engage in cuddles and Arthur will grow to trust the American even more... Alfred would have a huge fix of Arthur and maybe he could even get more from him... 

Alfred pictured it as he walked closer and closer to Arthur's room... Arthur, in his vulnerable and needy state, takes Alfred into his room. He will cry when he sees the letter and flowers, and as Alfred explains his story, Arthur takes him into his arms for a tight hug... Alfred would hold him closely and run his fingers through Arthur's soft hair, taking in every addictive sense and feeling... But then, Alfred could place his hand under Arthur's chin and lift his head to make eye contact. Where then, slowly, Alfred closes his eyes and leans in to steal a soft kiss from Arthur's ready lips...

But then, right before Alfred could turn towards Arthur's bedroom, the door opened from within, and a man walked out. Alfred's fantasy was immediately shattered when he recognised the man as Afonso, and immediately: Alfred became worried. 

The Portuguese man stood in front of Arthur's door, with his black jacket hanging over his shoulder. Alfred then frowned as the man loosened his red tie and sighed deeply. Almost immediately, Alfred assumed the worst-- why was he in Arthur's bedroom?! How long was he there!? Who invited him?! What was he doing!?  
Alfred was seething, frowning as he pretended to be normal as he got closer, trying so hard to not look as pissed as he felt.  
What was with this guy?! Surely, he didn't care about Arthur THAT much, what the fuck was he doing in Arthur's bedroom!? All kinds of sick ideas ran through Alfred's mind as he pondered all of his questions, becoming more and more anxious with each step he took.  
Afonso frowned and took out his phone, still standing in front of Arthur's door, long enough that Alfred was forced to walk by; eyeing the older man the entire time. 

Alfred couldn't risk delivering his letter, nor could he even look at Afonso for long, as the man quickly noticed that Alfred was staring at him as he passed, like a shark passing a sinking ship. 

Now Alfred was not only upset that he couldn't see Arthur, but he was pissed off that Afonso has stood in his way, again!  
But yet, he still could not figure out what to do about the man... What could he do to destroy a teacher?! He could find some 'offending material' and plant it on him, similar to what he's done to Gilbert, but that would involve Alfred having to find some and prevent it from being traced back to him! The fact that Alfred struggled to even come up with an idea enraged him! He cannot let Afonso get away with this!  
But yet... What could Alfred do against an authority figure...? Perhaps he could turn Arthur against him? But then again, Alfred had to take into consideration that Francis was the bigger threat, and Afonso was not a member of their friendship group, so he doesn't technically stand in the way as constantly as the others did. As soon as Francis is out of the way and Arthur is Alfred's; he could simply ban Arthur from seeing him!! Even if he has to lock him in! 

Now Alfred was even more upset when he realised that he would have to experience another day without Arthur, as when Alfred reached the top of the staircase, he looked back to see Afonso return into Arthur's bedroom. 

Great, just fucking great-- Alfred internally cursed. Becoming more and more angry as he stepped away from Arthur's bedroom and started walking down the stairs. Delivering one letter was not worth putting himself at risk. It would be an absolute nightmare if Afonso opened the door while Alfred was placing down his letter. And so, the hunter retreated, deciding to deliver Arthurs letter at a safer time.

However, once Alfred reached the bottom of the staircase, Alfred felt his phone vibrate from inside his pocket. It was a number he did not recognise, but because Alfred's mind was already clouded with anger, he answered faster than he could consider the number. 

"Alfred speaking," Alfred grumbled, deciding that he would hang up immediately if it was a telemarketer of any kind. 

"Alfred!" A woman's voice gasped, which made Alfred instantly freeze, "oh God! Alfred! Please don't hang up! Please!!"

"Mary..." Alfred gasped, realising that it's been the first time in years that he had actually spoken the name of his birth mother, the woman he's hated since childhood. 

"Alfred! Alfred! My baby! I miss you! I miss you so much! I've been thinking about you so much, I need you! I need to see my baby--"

"Oh, so I'm your baby now?" Alfred spat, "last time I checked; I was calling Catherine mom, and also, before you ask: Ben and Catherine are still HAPPILY married!"

"I'm not calling you about that--"

"Oh, so you're not calling me to fulfil my 'purpose', Hm!? Do you want a photo of me crying over my CIGARETTE BURNT ARMS for you to send to him as emotional leverage!?" Alfred explained, quickly becoming livid; livid enough to not even hang up on her like he usually would, he wanted to make sure that Mary remembered all of the hell she put Alfred through, because there's no way Alfred was going to forget. "I had those scars till I was fifteen, BITCH--"

"Alfred, please, I'm so sorry!!" Mary exclaimed.

"Yeah, yeah; you've been saying that a lot!" Alfred spat.

"Ben isn't telling what state you're studying in!"

"Yeah, he isn't telling you because I don't want him to-- we both know what you're like, you'll hunt me down and make my life hell: AGAIN!" Alfred groaned, "you're a fucking disease, you just bring me misery and pain, fuck you."

"Alfred, I know you're still upset, but please, give me another chance," Mary begged, her voice becoming strained and desperate enough for Alfred to hear it over the phone, "I need to see you, my baby, my sweet little baby boy... I want you to know how sorry I am, please, I need this chance." 

"Another chance, you want another fucking opportunity to let me down-- I know even more now than I did at seventeen, Mary! I know about you throwing me, a fucking toddler, at the wall. Do you remember those photos they showed in court, the ones where I am literally covered in bruises? I've seen them too. Let's see, what else did you do to me, oh yeah, you threatened to stab Matthew. I read those doctor reports, stating that I was malnourished and on the verge of contracting hypothermia and nearly all of my cuts were infected. You are soulless... You didn't love me at all, and I really fucking doubt you do now..." 

"Alfred--"

"Nah, nah, I ain't finished yet-- I know EVERYTHING, I know EVERYTHING you did to me, you sick bitch, you make me so angry, I can barely function when I even hear your name! From the moment I was born through to when I was four. Ha-ha! And then you only hurt me again when I was eight, and made me feel nothing at seventeen... You've had your chances to make it up to me, why the hell are you trying to talk to me now?" 

"I feel something, I-- I need to see you," Mary explained, "I need to see if you're ok!"

"I'm fine. You're not making me feel any better. I'm twenty-two now, Ben can't drag me to a contact centre now, I've decided that I don't need or want you in my life. I have someone else to love now, and I'm gonna love them a hell of a lot more than you've ever loved anybody, and our kids are gonna actually be looked after." Alfred explained, stopping before he got too far into describing his fantasy, "Just leave me alone."

"Alfred, you're still my son--"  
Not wanting to let Mary get any words in, Alfred hung up, feeling his entire arm tense as he pressed his thumb hard against the phone screen. 

And then suddenly, Alfred was snapped by the memory of his nightmare, of Arthurs voice saying to him 'you're just like your psychotic bitch of a birth mother'. Instantly, Alfred's entire body tensed as he stood at the bottom of the staircase, trying his hardest to not punch the wall. 

"No... I'm not..." Alfred grumbled.

No, no, no, he's not like her, he's NOTHING LIKE HER!! To Alfred, she was evil, sly, selfish and abusive, traits that Alfred refused to even associate himself with! Alfred actually loved Arthur, whereas he refused to believe that Mary had anything for Ben other than a twisted delusion! 

"I'm-- I'm nothing like her..." 

That woman enraged him, and the fact that Alfred actually spoke to her left the American shaking. He wanted to scream, punch and kick away his anger... but then he remembered that there was something better for him: Arthur ... he needed Arthur, Arthur would make his pain go away. And so, Alfred turned back around and marched up the staircase, deciding then that he was not going to leave until he saw Afonso leave Arthur's bedroom, then he was going to go in and take what he wanted. 

And so, he waited. He waited for what felt like over an hour, texting Matthew to say that he's decided to go to the library and study before his class, in order to explain his absence. Although, Alfred knew that he wasn't going to be going to his late afternoon class, Arthur was worth missing an entire semesters worth of classes. 

Finally, Afonso left Arthur's bedroom, but sadly, he came Alfred's way, so the American quickly walked down the stairs and ran into the common area of another group of students. Then again, Alfred did not move until he watched the Portuguese teacher pass, before he returned to his original route and made his way up the stairs. 

Alfred marched to Arthur's door, determined now to take what he wanted. And now, he wasn't going to hold back, or sugar-coat it, he needed Arthur. He needed his sweetheart to remind him that everything was going to be ok. Fuck Francis, fuck Afonso-- fuck everything! Alfred had reached a level of desperation where he did not care about remaining civil. He was going to enter Arthur's room and do whatever he needed to feel better. 

His eyes had become manic and wide by the time he reached Arthur's door. Alfred's entire body shivered when his hand met the doorknob of Arthur's bedroom door, and then he started to shake it. But of course, it was locked. Alfred pressed his forehead against the door in frustration, before beginning to knock, lightly at first. 

Alfred's heart was racing as he stood back, waiting for Arthur to answer the door. But he didn't come. 

"Arthur, it's me, Al," Alfred explained, "Come on, let me in..." 

Why isn't he answering, is someone else in there?! Alfred frowned as he tilted his head to press his ear against the wood of Arthur's door, listening for anything odd in the otherwise silent room. 

"Come on, Arthurrr..." Alfred purred, pressing his forehead against the door, his patience reaching it tipping point. If Arthur didn't answer the door, he was going to break the door down. "Arthur..."

Alfred's eyes narrowed as he stared at the wood of the door, biting his lip with deep hunger. He decided then that the second Arthur opens the door, he's going to go wild on him, profess his love and take out off of his pent-up anger. He's not like his mother, he's not a freak, he's not a threat, Francis has nothing on him nor does any other man! Alfred had enough, he was done pretending, he couldn't take it anymore.

He needed Arthur, he needed to see him, touch him, smell him and oh, he wanted to taste him... He needed to have every sense full to the brim with Arthur if he was going to be satisfied, and to prevent the oncoming panic attack.

The stress of not seeing Arthur had gotten to him greatly, and Alfred was at breaking point, and now he could barely take it. 

"Please... please, just let me in, Arthur ..." Alfred whispered, feeling his urge to smash the door down grow stronger and stronger... So much so, that Alfred felt as though he was about to burst. 

"HEY!" An angry voice snapped as Alfred was pushed by the shoulder, pulling him away from the door. 

Alfred's eyes narrowed, narrowly pushing against the instinct to smack whoever pushed him away from Arthur's door. But, Alfred wasn't shocked to see who it was... 

"Francis..." Alfred grumbled.  
Of course, of course he is here to ruin Alfred's chance to be with Arthur, the Frenchman just couldn't stay away, could he? 

"What the fuck are you doing?!" Francis asked, his eyes widening with anger as he stared at Alfred. If Alfred wasn't in his manic state, he would have been terrified, but instead, Alfred smiled at the Frenchman as he shoved his hands into his pockets.

"I want to see Arthur," Alfred answered. 

"Well, he's trying to sleep right now. We just had a meeting with Afonso," Francis explained, crossing his arms over his chest.

"We?" Alfred asked.

"Yes, we. He wanted me to be there," Francis pointed out, his head tilting slightly, as though pondering Alfred's question. But then again, Alfred knew that the Frenchman was curious about him, but Alfred just was far too in his insanity to care. Alfred only returned Francis' glare, tilting his head while he kept the twisted smile across his lips.  
"He's catching up on sleep now. You know how awful he's been." 

"But, he's hardly leaving his room, I haven't seen him in over a week," Alfred complained, "I need to see if he's ok." 

"He's as good as he can be in this kind of situation," Francis sighed, "so please, let him have his space." 

But Alfred was not deterred, especially not by Francis, if anything, the Frenchman’s presence did nothing but make Alfred want to try harder. At this point, he was afraid of nothing, and so he said, in a deeper voice, "But I need to see him."  
At this, Francis froze, perhaps he hadn't realised yet that Alfred wasn't going to give up. 

"No." Francis snapped, perhaps louder than he intended, "let him sleep, besides, aren't you supposed to be at the library—?"

"Piss off!" Alfred spat.

Francis froze, taken aback by Alfred's outburst, "Excuse me?!"

"You heard me, let me guess; the second I turn my back you're gonna drag him out, aren't you?" Alfred asked sarcastically. "Or are you gonna slide in there yourself...?" 

"What the hell are you talking about!?" Francis snapped, his eyes narrowing with suspicion, until his glare turned into one of anger. 

“You know…” Alfred grumbled, tilting his head as he smiled in intrigue, “Now why the fuck are you suddenly so determined to not let me see him?” 

“Because I have a basic understanding of privacy and respect for Arthur,” Francis retorted, “Learn some respect yourself; I thought that you out of everyone would understand what Arthur needs right now.” 

“Well, what if he needs to see me?” Alfred asked. 

“Like you need to see him? If he wanted you, he’d let you know,” Francis replied, crossing his arms over his chest as his angry glare turned into one of vicious suspicion. Francis lip curled as he sucked in a deep breath before saying, as he stared deeply into Alfred’s eyes, “If I were you, I’d really watch how you act… People will start to wonder things about you…” 

“Oh really?” Alfred chuckled, “Things like what…?” 

At this, Francis’ stare faltered somewhat, showing Alfred how unconfident Francis really was. But still, Alfred could still see the look in Francis’ eyes: the look that told Alfred all that the Frenchman was thinking. And it was only entertainment for the manic American. 

Come on, ACCUSE ME, I know you want to—Alfred thought, as his mind broke out into a dark laughter. He could see that Francis wanted to point the finger at him so badly, but he knew that Francis wouldn’t do that, not without solid proof.  
Francis finally choked out, “I think you should leave.”

“What?” 

Francis frowned as he straightened his shoulders, and pointed his finger at Alfred, his eyes wide with anger as he repeated in a firm voice, “You heard me. If you are not going to respect Arthur’s privacy, then you are not welcome here. Arthur has been through hell, and I am not going to let you harass him, I’d watch your back from now on, Alfred, because I’m not going to warn you again.” 

Alfred’s eyes narrowed, before his lips curved into a twisted smile, knowing that the Frenchman was watching his back as he walked away. But Alfred was not going to give up, he was going to get to Arthur, even if he had to scale the building to get him—that’s what gave Alfred his idea. Determined to make it to Arthur, Alfred quickly left the building, making sure that the group didn’t see him and he made his way around the side and to the rear of the building. 

The snow storm the night before was vicious and as aggressive as Alfred felt at that moment, snow blanketed the ground around the small footpath that had been cleared, with the path forking into two directions, one which led to the boundary of the building, and the other to the dark forest that surrounded the outskirts of the university. What was a patch of grass where the group used to hang out had become an area blanketed in scattered patches of snow, dead grass and dirt, Alfred was thankful that the storm wasn’t too bad, otherwise Alfred would have been leaving footprints everywhere. It was bittersweet for Alfred to stand in the middle of the field and scope out the area, trying his best to find the perfect tree near the building. 

The dormitory building itself was one large building, but there was a balcony in the middle and naturally, because of the cold weather, there was no one on it. And so, Alfred figured that if he could get into the building through there, he could find a way inside and then go back to Arthurs level, and to his door. Alfred was not going to give in, so he didn’t mind having to get his hands dirty—he wanted Arthur so badly, he was going to stop at nothing to get him, and satisfy the deep and torturous craving inside of him.  
Finally, Alfred spotted one tree, it was tall, its few thick branches were blanketed in snow. 

“Jackpot…” Alfred grumbled as he walked over to the tree, and tried to jump upwards to get a good grip on the lowest branch. But quickly, Alfred figured out that his bag was making him too heavy. And so, without a second thought, Alfred dumped his bag next to the tree, not minding at all that his laptop, books as well as the letter and rose for Arthur were in there, he also wasn’t even sure if his phone was in the bag. But then again, he did not care, he didn’t care if his stuff got stolen, he was too deep in his trance for Arthur to care about anything. 

This time, Alfred’s gloved hands grabbed the thick branch, and Alfred was able to lift himself into the tree, pushing the snow away as Alfred tried his best to not fall. Once Alfred found himself sitting comfortably on the tree, he looked up to see just how far away the balcony was, but he still was not going to give up. Alfred tried, and tried but after a few minutes, Alfred found himself stuck, and he had to accept that the tree-route was not going to work—no matter how badly he wanted it to work. 

Finally accepting his fate, Alfred made the journey back down the tree, disgruntled and disappointed Alfred walked around the tree to get his bag back. But… Alfred froze, he was sure that he hadn’t left the front pocket open like that. Alfred’s eyes narrowed as he looked to the other trees that were gathered around the side of the building, and he could instantly tell that he wasn’t alone.  
And he had a little inkling of who was there.  
“Come on…” Alfred chuckled darkly as he started to make his way through the trees, checking behind each one as he passed, his heart racing with anticipation as he passed every tree. 

Alfred could only grow more and more excited with every passing tree. But then, before Alfred could reach the outskirts of the forest, a figure dressed in a blue winter coat stepped out from behind the tree, and was holding Alfred’s phone in his black gloved hand. The figures icy blue eyes narrowed once they met Alfred’s, as his glossy blonde hair blew in the passing chilly wind. 

“Oh,” Alfred chuckled, pretending to be friendly. But by the look in Francis’ eyes, Alfred could tell that the Frenchman was not in a friendly mood, “Hey Francis.” 

“Alfred,” Francis sighed, “What are you doing?” 

“Going for a walk,” Alfred lied.

“Up a tree?” Francis spat, raising one eyebrow as Alfred smiled and even laughed a little, perhaps louder than he intended. 

“What about you?” Alfred asked as he crossed his arms over his chest, staring down at the hand that was holding Alfred’s phone, “Being too curious for your own good, eh?” 

The moment Alfred looked back to Francis’ face, he could see that no fear or hesitation remained in the Frenchman’s eyes, Alfred was not going to be able to lie his way out of this one, but still, Alfred kept smiling. Nothing was going to stop him from having Arthur. And while Alfred did not have a plan in motion to deal with Francis, he was not afraid… 

If anything, he was excited…


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Obsessive love is a condition in which one person feels an overwhelming obsessive desire to possess and protect another person toward whom one feels a strong attraction, with an inability to accept failure or rejection. Depending on the intensity of their attraction, obsessive lovers may feel entirely unable to restrain themselves from extreme behaviours such as acts of violence toward themselves or others.
> 
>  
> 
> My weakness is that I can't sit on chapters once they are finished and I have had way too much free time recently, so chances are that the next one will be early too.

The snow continued to fall around the Frenchman and American, as the pair stared at each other like a pair of duelling lions. Alfred knew that they were both fighting for the same thing, Arthur. Alfred was fighting to obtain Arthur’s love and affection, whereas Francis, in Alfred’s mind; was fighting to destroy it all.

But yet, Alfred’s ego was stronger than ever, and he refused to feel fear for Francis—he was not going to let the Frenchman stand in his way. There will be no more of this shit…

Alfred was going to have Arthur, no matter what.

“Why were you trying to climb that tree?” Francis asked, deciding to not dance around the conversation, he wanted to confront Alfred, and he was going to do it right there, Alfred knew that Francis had more information in his arsenal other than that. But obviously, the Frenchman was scared of being wrong; and was too hesitant to point the finger at Alfred.

Alfred smiled, “Just enjoying the view, why? Am I doing something wrong?”

“You’re doing something suspicious,” Francis pointed out.

“Me? Suspicious? That’s funny, coming from the guy who just stole my phone,” Alfred added, before tilting his head to the side as he narrowed his eyes at the Frenchman, “Why do you want it so bad? I haven’t done anything to you.”

“Hm, really…?” Francis murmured sarcastically, his eyes darkening, Alfred could tell that he was holding back, and this display was nothing more than amusing to the American, who knew that he had all of the answers to the Frenchman’s burning questions, “What’s on your phone? You’re on it a lot when the group is together…”

“Games ‘n shit,” Alfred replied, “Besides, it’s none of your fucking business, why do you fucking—”

“Defensive,” Francis spat, authority in his voice.  

“Fuck you.”

“Charming.”

Alfred’s lip twitched slightly as his eyes darkened, he was starting to get tired of Francis’ games, he wanted to have his phone back and return to Arthur, Arthur could have left his room and Alfred would miss his chance to have him alone! As each minute passed, he could feel himself growing more desperate, desperate to act and release his frustrations. Francis was ruining yet another opportunity for him, and Alfred was not going to forgive him for it. “I’m not trying to charm you, I don’t owe you shit. Give me my fucking phone back.”

“No… You don’t owe me that much,” Francis asked, completely ignoring Alfred’s request, “But I think you at least owe me an explanation: you’ve been acting weird ever since Gilbert was arrested… And now you are so defensive. I am studying psychology, Alfred, I can tell when someone is trying to hide something…”

Of course, Alfred anticipated this happening, but he did not think it would come back to bite him so soon. He knew that as more and more people started leaving the group or stopped talking, Francis would have less to distract him. The Frenchman had the eyes of a hawk, especially as Arthur’s condition worsened, so Alfred wasn’t shocked that Francis was onto him.

“But what if it’s something that none of your business?” Alfred asked, “And it’s in your best interest if you stay out of my way, so give me my phone back—”

“You’re not the man you say you are, are you?” Francis asked, taking a deep breath as he lifted Alfred’s phone, the device immediately catching Alfred’s eye, because he knew all of the precious and incriminating material that he had on it, just the idea of it being in someone else’s hands made him want to be sick. “What do you have on here that you don’t want me to see?”

Suddenly, Alfred had an idea. If Francis knew who he was, then why should Alfred have to pretend to be anything else?

After all, Alfred has had this plan in the back of his mind for the past couple of weeks, but he never thought that he’d ever have to act on it. Alfred had become crazy and desperate enough to act it out. Francis had pushed Alfred into a corner, so the American resolved that he simply had no choice...

“Fine then, you wanna see what’s on it so bad?” Alfred chuckled, loving the way that Francis frowned at him, “The passcode is 0423, go on, you know what you want to see.”

Francis froze, his frown deepening as he stared at Alfred, he was probably wanting to ask if this was a joke. But Alfred was serious. Alfred also wondered whether Francis figured out the meaning of Alfred’s passcode. Francis obviously hadn’t expected Alfred to give his passcode so easily, but then again, Alfred did it with a purpose. Alfred’s eyes widened as Francis entered the passcode and unlocked the Americans phone, constantly glancing back up at Alfred ever few seconds, growing more and more unnerved under Alfred’s stare. Francis knew that something was wrong Alfred, he could see it in his eyes.

But then, Francis stopped, and Alfred immediately knew what the Frenchman was looking at, and as he scrolled upwards on Alfred’s phone, his expression worsened as Alfred’s smile widened. Francis looked absolutely horrified, and it was great for Alfred to watch.

 “Non… Non…” Francis gasped, his hand reaching his trembling lips, “I prayed that I was wrong… No…” Francis glanced upwards, his hand trembling as he finally saw the smile on Alfred’s face. “It’s you… It’s always been you…”

“Heh…” Alfred chuckled as Francis looked back at the phone, scrolling through the entire camera roll, which had become dedicated solely to pictures of Arthur. Thousands and thousands of pictures of Arthur were stored on Alfred’s phone, and Francis only became more distressed after seeing the sheer amount.

“Oh God…”

Alfred smiled as he chuckled, thinking about all of the beautiful photos on his phone, the beautiful photos of Arthur, “I just couldn’t help myself; he’s too beautiful, isn’t he?”   

“You…” Francis grumbled, finally looking Alfred in the eyes, “Yo-you—Why?!”

“Hm? Why?” Alfred asked, his smile widening as he clasped his heart with his hands, “I love him… I want him, no, I need him...”

“Alfred…” Francis gasped, “Oh my God, I can’t believe this… It was fucking you all along! I’m going to be sick!” 

“I just love him, I love him so much; my heart can’t take it! I have to have him! He— Ohh God, he makes me feel so good, his touch, smell and oh fuck, I wanna taste him so bad, he makes me wanna scream! All I need is him and my life would be complete, I can’t live without him!” Alfred breathed heavily as he stared directly into Francis’ eyes, “And I won’t let anyone take him away from me…”  Fuck, that feels good to say out loud, it felt so good; Alfred started to laugh as he swayed back and forward, rejoicing in his release, “I love him! I love him! Oh God: I love him! Mmmm!”

Francis’ eyes widened, worried by Alfred’s manic positioning, the Frenchman could obviously see that Alfred was too far gone, and so he had to be careful. “Alfred, please, come clean with the others, we can get you help—”

“HELP!?” Alfred snapped, coming down from his high to stare the Frenchman dead in the eyes, “You think I want help?! I want Arthur! I only want Arthur! If you wanna take him from me, you’ll have to pry him from my cold, dead arms…” 

Francis gasped at Alfred’s response, “But he’s responded badly to your letters… How does that make you feel…?”

Francis was truly a psychologist in the making, and so, in good spirits, Alfred answered honestly, “At first, I thought faked it, but as it kept going: I got real upset when he didn’t cooperate with me.”

“Mm…” Francis murmured angrily, growing more and more pissed off with each passing minute, “There’s more to that, I know there is… Come on, Alfred, don’t fuck around with me.”

Alfred chuckled, the Frenchman truly was more observant than Alfred gave him credit for, “Mm... Thinking about him makes me feel so fucking good: I can never be mad at him! I figured that since we’re going to end up together in the end anyway, his reaction doesn’t really matter. I’m gonna have him and I’m gonna make him love me!”

“How?”  

“Heh…” Alfred chuckled, “Anything… I don’t care, we’re going to be together and he’s going to love me, no matter what I have to do... It’s for the best, even if I have to ‘retrain’ him a little bit, our future together it worth it.”

“You…” Francis grumbled, gritting his teeth. Alfred could tell that the Frenchman was trying to hold himself back, but he quickly lost control, “FUCK! Arthur trusts you, and it’s been you all along! You monster! You’ve ruined him!! You—URGH! You make me SICK!! You’ve destroyed him!”

“I’m gonna make him better than before!” Alfred snapped, “I’m not a monster: I am in love—”

“YOU ARE NOT IN LOVE!!” Francis screamed, making Alfred shudder, “What you have isn’t love—It’s an obsession, a delusion! Love is something born pure, but you… You want to hurt him—”

“NO!”

“In fact, I stand by what I said and you have proven me right. You don’t want to love Arthur, you want to OWN HIM! YOU’RE GOING TO OWN HIM LIKE A SICK FREAK AND NOT MAKE HIM HAPPY AT ALL TO FEED YOUR SICK FUCKING FANTASY!” Francis cried, snapping at Alfred. “You are SICK! I haven’t read all of your letters, but I’ve read enough: you are not good for Arthur—you need to stop this before you hurt him!!”

“You need to stop sticking your nose in business that’s not fucking yours, THEN no one will get hurt!” Alfred growled as he started to walk towards Francis, making the Frenchman walk back to avoid him. Alfred could see it in the Frenchman’s eyes, he was terrified but was trying his hardest to not show it. But Alfred was determined to make Francis regret ever following Alfred… “This is between Arthur and I! And you’re wrong! I do love him! I love him more than I’ve loved anyone—And I’m gonna have him NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO!”

“Alfred—”

“I’d rather him dead than be with anyone else!” Alfred admitted.

To which, Francis snapped, actually daring to step into Alfred as he screamed, “DON’T YOU DARE! DON’T YOU DARE SAY THAT!”

“Then don’t take him from me!” Alfred snapped, getting faster as he marched towards the Frenchman, becoming angrier with every passing second. He could see the fear also growing in Francis’ eyes as he struggled to keep his distance. “If you stand in my way, we’re gonna have a problem. I don’t have any issue with fucking up anyone who gets in my way to Arthur.”

“But we all trusted you…” Francis growled through his teeth, “You were our friend, but you were the one we were trying to protect Arthur from…”

“Do you really think I gave a shit about any of you?” Alfred asked, grinning darkly, “I was there for Arthur, and only Arthur, you all only stood in my way, from getting too close to him, touching him, and even turning him against my love letters! You all only wanted to keep us apart! I know you did!”  

“I can’t believe you, you are a sick freak…” Francis growled, “You see what your letters are doing to Arthur, and you don’t give a shit about how he feels! You’re trapped in your own obsession and you’re going to drag Arthur down with you!” Alfred growled as he moved forward again, faster than Francis could step back, so the American and the Frenchman found themselves standing a few feet apart, locked in an intense eye contact. But Francis did not stop, “Your obsession is doing nothing but hurting Arthur, why can’t you see that, if you actually loved him: you would care about that! Fuck you!”

Alfred continued to growl, animalistic in his approach, he was going to do all he could to deter Francis from pursuing it further. Alfred was enraged, and it was only getting worse the more he stared at Francis’ face.

He could feel the monster screaming inside of him, screaming for action, and screaming for Francis’ silence. Alfred knew how to satisfy it...

“I don’t give a fuck about what you have to say to me, you don’t know shit! You can’t comprehend the love I have for Arthur—”

“Because you are sick! What you have is not love!!”

Alfred snapped, tilting his head as his eyes widened, Alfred showing Francis the true madness in his vicious stare. All of the cracks in Alfred’s façade were now out for Francis to see, “You have been a thorn in my side since day one…” Alfred began, “You’re always there, with Arthur under your arm like you’re fucking married, you always just had to ruin my time with him, or ruin my view of him. I hate you, I hate you so much—you’re my biggest threat in taking Arthur and making him min—”

Alfred was interrupted when Francis tried to run past him, but Alfred stepped in the way and rammed him with his shoulder, pushing Francis back. It was in that moment that Alfred saw the look in his eyes, and learned the real fear that Francis was feeling. Francis had figured out what Alfred was planning for him.

And so, Francis turned his back to Alfred and ran back, running past more trees on route to the forest that surrounded the campus. Alfred quickly gave chase, following Francis deeper into the forest, stopping the Frenchman any time he tried to change direction.

Francis then ran to the side, trying to make it to the clearing, where he knew that he’d be in view of others, but Alfred sped up and cut him off before he could escape the privacy the trees gave him. Alfred wanted him alone…

It was like herding a single sheep, Alfred’s smile alone was the tool he used to direct Francis further into the forest, where he knew that Francis was unfamiliar. Whereas, Alfred was in his element, he grew up near forests that became blanketed in snow during the winter, so he knew what to look for, and what to watch out for.

“LEAVE ME ALONE!!” Francis cried.

“AND LET YOU TAKE ARTHUR AWAY FROM ME!?” Alfred roared, tightening his hands into fists as he jogged after Francis, watching him struggle to keep moving quickly as the snow built up. “I’M NEVER GONNA LEAVE HIM! I’M NEVER GONNA LET HIM GO!!”

“Plea— AAHH!!” Francis started, before screaming when his foot got trapped under a hidden tree root, forcing him to trip and twist his ankle, hell, Alfred assumed that Francis’ ankle may even be broken, judging by how hard and fast the fall was. Francis trembled as he struggled to scream and breathe over the pain, and Alfred simply strolled towards him, with his gloved hands shoved into the pockets of his old brown leather jacket. Alfred chuckled darkly as he bent over to hover over Francis as Francis cried out, struggling to free his trapped ankle.

Now, Alfred found himself face to face with two options… But, in his manic state, Alfred saw the options differently, he saw them as: Win Arthur, or Lose Arthur, and he knew which one he wanted more.

“Alfred—Alfred, non!” Francis gasped as Alfred fell to his knees beside Francis, staring down at him like a wolf about to launch on struggling prey.

“Nothing personal,” Alfred chuckled as he straddled himself on Francis’ chest, pinning down Francis’ waving hands as he leaned down to stare into Francis’ eyes, feeding from the horror he saw in them. “I just can’t lose Arthur… You understand, you love him too, don’t you?” Francis breathed deeply as he stared at Alfred, and while his face was stained with pain, Alfred got his answer just by looking into his icy-blue eyes.

On the inside, Alfred was even colder than the snow on the ground, and as he maintained eye contact with Francis, he snapped and latched both of his hands to Francis’ throat. Suddenly, Francis’ eyes widened as he kicked into action, reaching for Alfred’s face in an attempt to make him let go. But once Alfred adjusted his positioning, his face was too far out of Francis’ reach for him to do anything effective; the most Francis did was knock Alfred’s glasses from the bridge of his nose, sending them into the snow beside them. But due to Alfred’s near-sightedness, he could still see the Frenchman’s face perfectly.

He watched as Francis struggled and gasped underneath him, and Alfred only continued to tighten his gasp, tensing his arms in order to hold his firm grip. Grunting through his teeth, Alfred pushed his bodyweight onto his arms, applying more pressure to Francis’ throat, watching as the Frenchman gasped as his face turned red as his eyes widened with panic. Francis continued to try to fight Alfred, smacking him on the shoulder and trying to claw at his face. Two things were against Francis, there was the fact that he couldn’t move his legs because of his ankle, and that Francis was still wearing gloves, so he couldn’t use his nails.

“A-ah, AL—Ah” Francis struggled, his voice barely recognisable under the strain of Alfred’s tight hold around his throat.

Alfred continued to stare at Francis with eyes glazed in insanity and desperation, he applied all of his frustration and anger into a harder squeeze, squeezing so tightly, his arms were starting to cramp. But he couldn’t give in now, by the look in Francis’ glazed and confused eyes and uncoordinated movements: he was getting close, the lack of oxygen was starting to get to Francis and the Frenchman was struggling to keep his eyes open.

But even then, Alfred thought about Arthur, after this: no one will be standing in his way! Arthur will be standing there, alone, smiling at Alfred as he reaches his arms out to him! Only Alfred! He imagined it, taking Arthur into his arms, holding him closely as he places one hand on Arthur’s procaine cheek. He can feel it already, he could feel how soft Arthur is, it made Alfred go numb… But then he realised, he was numb because of how hard he was holding onto Francis’ throat, where Alfred could see that Francis was losing the battle, and the only remaining movements he had were the struggling of his head and the quivering of his lips. Alfred knew how this worked, and as he expected, Francis had fallen unconscious, but he still held on despite this, wanting to be sure that Francis was never going to stand in his way again.

It was almost hard for Alfred to let go of the Frenchman’s throat, his hands had tensed so much, they still kept the same position as Alfred lifted himself free from his position on top of Francis.

“Oh my God…” Alfred gasped as he fell onto his back, lying beside Francis and staring up at the trees. It was like a sudden wave had just brushed over Alfred and lifted away all of his pent-up stress and frustration. He… He felt good, calm and like he could breathe freely and truly feel the air pass through his lungs in a new appreciation. He felt alive in every sense of the word, everything from the air, to his senses, to even the blood running through his veins. Alfred likened it to the sensation that he always got when he was close to Arthur… He may as well consider this victory as such, because Francis was his last major threat…

He was free, and now, in Alfred’s eyes; so was Arthur…

Alfred continued to lay on the cold snow, watching his breath evaporate in the cold, bitter air, feeling Francis lay right next to him. Alfred glanced over at the Frenchman, seeing that his cheeks had become stained with a deep blue, bluer than Alfred’s eyes.

This was a line that Alfred never expected to cross, but he wasn’t surprised that it had come to this… So, he felt no remorse. This was for Arthur, all of this madness, pain and destruction was all for Arthur, so it meant that Alfred was willing to do anything…

\-----

Alfred was well aware that he was not going to sleep that night—he even embraced it, he embraced the night that he knew he was going to spend trapped in his own mind. Usually nights like this would be dedicated to Arthur, and while this night was, it wasn’t exactly as Alfred imagined.

He could still see the look in Francis’ eyes as he rose from his place next to the Frenchman’s corpse. His eyes were empty and colder than the snow that they laid on, and as Alfred dislodged his definitely broken ankle from the tree root, grimacing when he saw how badly it bent out of shape after Alfred forced it out. But then, Alfred couldn’t rest there, he knew he had to make sure that Francis wasn’t going to be found easily, so he proceeded to take back his phone, before stealing Francis’ phone and wallet before dragging him further into the forest. He dragged Francis so far into the forest, Alfred became scared of getting lost himself, and so he stopped when he thought he had walked a good one and a half miles. Exhausted, Alfred dropped Francis’ legs that he had been using to drag him, before covering him in any sticks, stones or snow that he could find, until he was confident that any untrained eye would be able to find him.

Sombre, Alfred stared at the makeshift grave he created, feeing nothing as he checked one more time for any signs of the freezing corpse he had hidden underneath. Alfred’s eyes darkened as he lifted his bag from the ground, and made the journey back to campus, knowing that it would only be a matter of time before Francis’ absence is noticed.

But then… Alfred knew that with the Frenchman gone, Arthur would rely on Alfred for comfort… He could see it already, he could see Arthur resting in his arms, letting Alfred run his fingers through his hair… Alfred smiled widely as he imagined it, he could not wait for the next day to begin. As the semester only had less than two weeks left before finals began, Alfred knew that he didn’t have much time left before he could have Arthur all to himself, with no classes to distract them.

The buzz of happiness returned to Alfred, and he felt happier than he had in weeks, and he hasn’t even touched Arthur yet! He loved it! He was so happy that Antonio, Ivan, Gilbert and Francis were out of the way, and Afonso, Lovino and Matthew were no longer threats to him. No one was going to stand in Alfred’s way to claim Arthur. And if anyone did, there were no lengths that Alfred was unwilling to go to in order to get rid of them. Alfred feared no one, if anything: people should fear him. Alfred wouldn’t be afraid to take down anyone who so much as looked at Arthur for too long.

“Oh, Arthur…” Alfred whispered, staring at the ceiling with a smile on his lips and love in his eyes, “I’m coming for you, Darling…”

\------

As Alfred expected, police officers were present at the international dorms the very next morning, taking statements from Arthur, Antonio and Lovino as Alfred and Matthew entered the common area.

“Oh God…” Matthew gasped when he saw the police officers, his voice stained with defeat, “What happened now…?”

“Alfred! Matthew!” Arthur cried when he saw the brothers, waving them over as they rushed over, determined to find out what was going on. But Alfred already had a pretty good idea of what this was about.

“Francis! Have you seen Francis?!” Arthur asked, trembling as he reached out to Alfred and Matthew, to which Alfred eagerly took the trembling Englishman into his arms, determined to get to him before Matthew did.

“What? No?” Alfred replied.

“What’s going on?” Matthew asked the police officers.

“Francis Bonnefoy hasn’t been seen since yesterday afternoon,” The officer explained before looking to Arthur, who was still in Alfred’s arms, “Is there any possibility that he could have left the campus for a walk or to go somewhere?”

“Maybe, but he wouldn’t have gone alone, or without telling someone, he’s not the type to just disappear,” Arthur explained, “Something is wrong, I can feel it.”

“Yes, this isn’t like him at all,” Antonio agreed.

“Aright,” The officer noted, “How good is his English?”

“He’s fluent,” Arthur answered, “He only has trouble when he’s drunk or if someone is speaking too fast.”

“Don’t worry, it’ll be fine,” Alfred whispered as he tightened his arms around Arthur, comforting as he continued to tremble and fiddle with his hands. Alfred struggled to keep up his act, all he could think about was Arthur, until he realised that he should probably look more worried, and so he nuzzled into Arthur’s shoulder, “I pray he’s safe.”

“Is there anything that would have made him leave intentionally?” The officer asked.

“No…” Arthur sighed.

“We have finals soon,” Lovino pointed out, before looking to Arthur, “And there is no way in hell he was going to leave Arthur.”

“Why? Are you two partners?” The officer asked, looking to Arthur.

The question alone made Alfred tighten the grip he had around Arthur, as the Englishman struggled to turn around and face the officer.

“No, he’s my best friend, but we love each other like family,” Arthur admitted, “And… he’s honestly been my lifeline for the past couple of weeks.”

“Hang on…” The second officer muttered, “I think I’ve seen you around the sheriff’s office, are you the one with the stalker problem?”

“Yes,” Arthur stated, before his voice deepened as he rocked forward, “Please, for the love of God, if that freak has done something to him—”

“He wouldn’t have… Right?” Lovino gasped.

But Arthur had started to tremble, “Oh my God, oh my God… What if he’s been kidnapped? Fuck, no… no-no-no, not him!”

“Arthur, we are going to do all we can to make sure that Francis is safe, and we still have your case as well, we have not forgotten about your stalker,” The officer added, “It will probably be fine, most missing person cases are resolved within 48 hours. We have had international students get lost before, and the snow turns familiar areas into mazes. All we can do right now is search, spread the word and hope that he has just gotten lost. But we will be doing all we can for the time being, the first 48 hours are crucial, especially with weather like this.”

At this, Alfred felt Arthur tremble in his arms and pull himself free, and if it weren’t for the officer presence, Alfred would have grabbed him back—sadly, he still had to act normal.

“You two,” The second officer said, looking to Alfred and Matthew, “What are your names, and when did you last see Francis Bonnefoy?”

“I’m Matthew Williams, I last saw him yesterday, I was sitting with Antonio and Lovino, the last time I saw him was when he returned for a few minutes, before leaving,” Matthew explained, “I didn’t hear what he said.”

“I’m Alfred Jones, Matthew’s half-brother,” Alfred stated, “I didn’t see Francis at all yesterday. I spent a small bit of time with the group before going to the library to study.”

“Right, you two live near campus?”

“We’re a short drive away,” Matthew answered.

After gaining some more statements from members of the group, the officers left and Arthur crumbled, turning back into Alfred’s chest as he started to cry. Alfred only tightened his hold on Arthur, resting his hands firmly on Arthur’s back, before burying his face in Arthur’s hair. Alfred’s heart was racing as he took in a deep breath, inhaling Arthur’s natural scent, if anything, he smelled better than if he did have a shower, as the vanilla shampoo scent was nothing compared to Arthur’s natural scent.

God, he could have stood like this forever, listening to Arthur’s quickened and shaky breaths and feeling the Englishman’s smaller frame tremble from the power of his tears. It was so romantic, Arthur was relying on Alfred! It was perfect! And this is literally the day after Francis was removed! This couldn’t have gone better for Alfred. He was so happy, he was not bothered when the rest of the remaining group joined their hug: all wanting to show Arthur their support.

While Alfred was only mildly bothered by this, he was not put off by it as much as he used to be, they were no threat to him. He was the one holding Arthur the most, and that’s what mattered most to him, he will have time later to make sure that he was the only one who would ever hold Arthur again.

The next day, Arthur was not much better in terms of his condition, but then: Alfred guessed that Arthur was going to be like this. He and Francis were close, so Alfred was not surprised that Arthur became extremely depressed. But it was better: he had Alfred now! Alfred was going to take care of him! Alfred made sure to put his arm around Arthur whenever he looked down, or even spoke about Francis, Alfred was always there to make sure that Arthur was feeling supported.

Even Alfred had to admit, over the next week, Francis’ absence was felt, the group was quiet and sombre, like multiple pieces of the puzzle were missing. But for Alfred, this was fantastic. He had Arthur all to himself, and no one was actively in his way or pursuing Arthur. 

Alfred continued to deliver his letters with no trouble, but now it was Alfred was the one who he cried to, who he confided in.

It was perfect…

“Alfred…” Arthur whimpered, his head falling into his hands once Alfred joined him on the couch, handing him a cup of tea that he had just made in the communal kitchen. They were alone this time, sitting in the communal couches of the common area, as Antonio and Lovino were helping prepare dinner, and Matthew were at a lecture. 

“Yes, Arthur?” Alfred asked, settling himself next to Arthur as he lifted his legs onto the couch, curling into a little ball as he took in the warmth of his mug of tea.

“I… I’m so scared…” Arthur admitted, his voice pitching as his eyes became wet with tears, “Where the fuck is Francis, what has this guy done to him…? 

“We don’t know if it was him yet,” Alfred pointed out, trying to put his arm around Arthur, but Arthur snapped.

“But what else could have happened?!” Arthur cried, finally showing Alfred his tearful eyes, “He’s got to be tied up somewhere—he’s been taken! He can’t be lost! I need to know he’s safe, oh my God, I—”

Arthur was interrupted when Alfred took him into his arms, holding him tightly, enough for Alfred to feel the burn of Arthur’s hot mug against his chest.

“It’s gonna be ok, I promise… I’m here,” Alfred whispered into Arthur’s hair, running his hand down the Englishman’s arm. From this angle, Alfred could see Arthur frown perfectly, and he looked so beautiful, like Alfred could just kiss him right there…

“The police said today that they’re doing all they can, they’ve put the case on high risk, and said that they’re going to extend their search to the forest…” Arthur explained, “Fuck… The semester is nearly after and we were supposed to go home together. We can’t now. This is my fault, this is my fucking fault.”

“But it’s not, this is not your fault,” Alfred explained, “Nothing is your fault.” Arthur didn’t do anything to make Alfred do this, Alfred did this FOR him. Someday Arthur would understand this…

The look in Arthur’s eyes sent an arrow through his heart, even in his tears, Arthur’s eyes had Alfred completely captivated, like a spell had been cast on him. It told him that everything he did was worth it – he’s won Arthur.

Arthur sighed as he rested his head on Alfred’s shoulder, which sent a shiver through Alfred’s entire body. Feeling his breathing, Alfred was tempted to run his hand down the curve of Arthur’s back, he’d give anything to feel him like that, but still, Alfred had a sense of decency, and knew that Arthur would snap if he made a move on him now. Alfred didn’t mind, he had all the time in the world now to prepare Arthur for Alfred’s taking…

“I don’t know what I’m going to do without him… They have to find him! He must be so scared… I swear, I am seconds away from fucking going out there myself...” Arthur whispered. Alfred had heard what Lovino and Antonio were talking about in the kitchen, they fear what Alfred knew: Francis was dead, but Arthur was refusing to even acknowledge it. Alfred didn’t mind, he was willing to wait by Arthur until the right time came… As long as Alfred didn’t run out of patience first.

“Hey, shhhh…” Alfred cooed, listening to Arthur sob, running his hand through his soft blonde hair, wanting to take in each and every sense he could. “They’re going to find him, I know it. And everything’ll be just fine—”

“How? I’m still being stalked too, and I think he’s taken Francis because of how close he is to me…” Arthur pointed out, “I am honestly nearly at the point of not wanting to exist anymore, he’s sucked the soul out of me…” 

While hearing Arthur speak in such a way did make Alfred’s heart hurt, he only reminded himself that this pain would be temporary: the future that Alfred will give him will make up for every tear he sheds. As he sat with Arthur, Alfred couldn’t help but feel so warm, so calm and so, so… Good…

\--------

His sweetheart, his gem, his darling love… Alfred stared at Arthur like he was his sweetest joy, his sunshine, his source of oxygen. Fuck, how could Alfred think about a life without Arthur? He couldn’t picture it, even the suggestion of Alfred living on without Arthur made him want to pull his hair out, he couldn’t take it, he didn’t want it. He’d kill again before he sees Arthur in the arms of another, no man was good enough him other than Alfred, he an Arthur were perfect for each other! No one was going to get in the way of their perfect future together. Now with Francis out of the way, Alfred felt unstoppable… 

His skin felt like porcelain, his hair was as soft as silk, his body was warm as a blanket and his eyes were as green as meadow grass on a spring day. Arthur was as good as his now, Alfred could sense it, no one was going to stand in his way anymore, no one was a threat to him as he always made sure to sit next to Arthur, or be the first to comfort him when he cried over Francis. The fact that he was still crying over Francis a week after he ‘disappeared’ annoyed Alfred a little, but since they were so close: Alfred couldn’t really protest. His sweetheart will move on, and Alfred will help him if he takes too long to get over him… 

Alfred could just grab him now… He thought about it as he sat next to Arthur while he watched a movie with Arthur and Antonio. Lovino had gone to bed, and Matthew was finishing his lecture at eight, so Alfred had to wait around until Matthew was finished before they could leave. Alfred honestly hoped that Matthew would stay back in his class, just so he could spend longer sharing a blanket with Arthur.

Suddenly, Alfred’s eyes widened when he felt Arthur shuffle closer to him, and whisper, “Can I sleep on you?”

“Sure,” Alfred whispered, adjusting his arm to let Arthur rest on him. Alfred’s heart raced as he heard Arthur release a deep and tired sigh, Alfred could hear him breathing and could feel his warmth circulate underneath the blanket they shared. Alfred was about to lose his cool and smother Arthur with his love there, but he barely managed to keep his cool. He even put his arm around Arthur and pulled him in closer, and oh God, Alfred had to hold back his urge to scream because he was so excited. He and Arthur were cuddling! They were cuddling like boyfriends, even just thinking about calling Arthur his boyfriend sent a shiver down Alfred’s spine! This was exactly what Alfred wanted, this wouldn’t have happened if Francis was still around!

“Thank you,” Arthur whispered, resting his chin on Alfred’s raised arm, before leaning in so close to Alfred’s ear, the hairs on Alfred’s arms stood on end. “Thank you for everything, thank you for being there for me…”

“Hey, you don’t need to thank me,” Alfred whispered, leaning into Arthur, he could smell him, and even taste him in the air as he breathed. It was intoxicating, “You mean a lot to me… I mean it.”

“Alfred…” Arthur whispered, and Alfred could see Arthur’s smile in the light coming from the TV, “You should come to England sometime…”

“I’d really like that,” Alfred agreed, continuing to smile at Arthur as he snuggled into Alfred’s shoulder.

“Like, show you around London if you like, Matt could come too if he wants,” Arthur explained, before his voice cracked, “I… Sorry… I…” Arthur started to shake with every breath, and instantly, Alfred knew that Arthur was crying, and what he was crying over.

“Hey, it’s ok to cry…” Alfred cooed, rubbing Arthur’s back with his hand, “You can do anything, it’ll be ok…”   

“I just, I thought about where I take Francis when he’s in England… This is destroying me, I don’t know where he is, or who’s taken him, I feel so empty and helpless, he was my rock, I …” Arthur murmured, “Sorry, I… I just can’t sit by myself and think about it anymore, I’m going to drive myself crazy.”

“If you ever need to talk to anyone, I’m one phone call away,” Alfred admitted.

“Thank you…” Arthur whispered, “Warning you, I may just take you up on that offer.”

“Good…”

\------

‘Hey, Alfred, I’m going now, but I just wanted to say to you, thank you so much for helping me over the past few weeks, and sticking around despite everything. I really deeply appreciate it and I hope to see you again really soon. Please promise that you will let me know if the Rockford police say ANYTHING about Francis, no matter what.

But, in the span of the semester, you’ve actually become a really good friend, and I want to stay in contact. I want to see you again, soon.’

Alfred frowned as he read the message he had received from Arthur, wondering what triggered him to send this message.

But, Alfred immediately read the message as ‘come to me now’, and so, determined, Alfred got out of bed and quickly getting dressed to go to campus, the last day of semester was yesterday, and Alfred had finals to study for, but he didn’t care. He wanted Arthur as badly as he thought that Arthur wanted him.

Alfred was ready to claim his prize, claim his Arthur and all that came with him. As he drove, he imagined taking Arthur into his arms and giving him a deep and passionate kiss, and nothing was going to hold him back now. His heart was about to burst, he had a huge smile on his face as he parked at the campus, ready to run to the international dorms to see his love.

He wanted him, he wanted him so badly, he could barely contain it anymore, and he was ready to tell Arthur everything. He could imagine getting down on one knee and promising Arthur the universe if he just says yes, they’ve be the happiest couple on earth if Arthur said yes to him. If not, Alfred would find a way to change his mind.

It will be so perfect… Alfred couldn’t wait to make his dream come true… He was finally going to have Arthur, his prize, his trophy, his accomplishment, all that he had worked so hard for… He was going to kiss him, make sweet love to him and give him everything he had. He imagined Arthur smiling with him, taking all of Alfred’s love willingly and happily, and the thought alone made Alfred blush. He wanted to have Arthur so badly, he couldn’t wait to make all of his dreams come true with him. They were going to be a mathematician and a journalist couple, how cute! Alfred could barely contain it, not even the sight of police tape around the forest of the forest which bordered the international dorms hindered Alfred’s spirit as he ran in, determined to reach his one true love!

His heart was racing with undying love and anticipation as he raced up the staircase to Arthur’s floor, determined to race in there and claim what was his like a champion, no one was going to stand in his way or slow him down anymore! Arthur was his an no one was going to do anything about it!

From the top of the stairs, Alfred could see that Arthur’s door was already open, practically welcoming him in already! Like a hungry wolf, Alfred ran to Arthur’s room, ready for him, ready for their love to finally be consummated! Alfred was ready to reap the rewards of his months of hard, unrelenting work!

… The bedroom was completely empty.

“What?!” Alfred gasped, gripping his hair with his hands as his eyes widened in shock.

No, why is his bedroom empty!? Had he moved because the semester was over!? What the fuck is this shit?! WHERE THE FUCK IS ARTHUR?! WHERE THE FUCK IS ALFRED’S PRECIOUS ARTHUR?!

Alfred felt like he was going to scream as he stepped into what was Arthur’s bedroom, stunned to see that the entire room had been cleared of any sign of Alfred’s sweetheart. Alfred was about to cry, he wanted to scream for his sweetheart, and find out where his love had gone! He nearly punched the wall in frustration because he didn’t understand: where had Arthur gone?!

“Alfred?” A voice asked, and Alfred turned to the door, disappointed to see Lovino and Antonio standing by Arthur’s door, frowning in confusion at the American who had come over on a Saturday morning after the last day of the fall semester. Alfred wasn’t even sure which of the couple had asked, but he didn’t give a shit, he only wanted Arthur, and wanted to know where his darling had gone.

“Where is Arthur?” Alfred asked, not caring to hide the desperation in his voice.

Lovino frowned with confusion as Antonio sighed loudly, explaining with a sympathetic smile, “Oh Alfred, I’m so sorry, you just missed him! He’s gotten into a cab ten minutes to go to the airport!”

“You have just missed him!” Lovino added, “He said to give his love to you and Matthew, he did say that he sent you messages!”  

“Airport?!” Alfred growled.

As Antonio now frowned, Lovino explained, “Yes? Remember, he was only studying here for a one semester exchange, have you been listening to him at all?”

“Oh my God…” Alfred gasped. A semester exchange?! Alfred swore that he remembered those words coming from Arthur’s lips once, but Alfred was too in love and distracted by his eyes to care about a fucking word he said. Alfred wanted to explode and take everyone out with him, his love has left before Alfred could claim him.

“Haaa…. Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa…… no…... No, no, no…” Alfred grunted, shaking as he stepped forward, no longer caring about his appearance, which only seemed to make the Spaniard and Italian share confused glares. Alfred’s mask had finally come off, and he was finally exposing the mask of madness and obsession that he had been hiding underneath the entire time.

“Alfred…” Antonio murmured, grabbing Lovino by the arm and stepping forward as though to shield his boyfriend from the terrifying American, “What’s going on…?”

“Arthur…. Oh fuck, Arthur…” Alfred growled, overwhelmed by his own senses, he let the monster inside of him finally come out, and he stared dead into the Spaniards eyes as he exclaimed, “I am not letting him go anywhere…”

 


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The evolution of the stalker’s thought pattern progresses from, “If I can just prove to you how much I love you,” to “I can make you love me,” to “If I can’t have you, no one can.”

Alfred froze as the weight of what Antonio told him made his knees buckle, his palms sweat and his heart collapse from the anxiety and shock.

“He’s returning home, to England…” Antonio explained, his frown altering as he assessed Alfred’s confusing reaction, “The police explained that they can’t extend his visa for the investigation without the order of a judge, but that can be arranged if they need him to return in the future…”

“Alfred, are you ok?” Lovino asked, frowning as Alfred started to walk out of Arthur’s now vacated bedroom, trembling like he was struggling to stand on his own two feet.

Alfred could feel the breakdown coming, he was barely holding himself together as he approached the couple, struggling to even lift his feet off the floor.

Arthur… Gone…? No, Alfred was not going to allow that, he was not going to allow Arthur to leave the country without him, not without knowing of Alfred’s undying love—he wasn’t going to leave Alfred at all, Alfred won’t let him! Alfred could not handle the notion of Arthur leaving without him, without letting Alfred take what he wanted from him. But even with his breakdown coming closer and closer, Alfred could not stop smiling, he had completely accepted the fact that he was going to snap and take down anyone within radius before he got to Arthur and stopped him from making this terrible mistake! He was not going to let Arthur leave!! He had to stop this! He could not let Arthur go! He could not risk losing Arthur to anyone in England, there was too much risk and Alfred couldn’t be there constantly to protect him! Alfred did not care if Arthur promised to keep in contact with him, or to see him in England at some point, he needed to keep Arthur in America! Those words meant nothing to him now!   

“When did he leave?!” Alfred asked, the power of his voice forcing the couple to take a step back, looking at the American like he was a lion out of a cage. Alfred could relate to that, somewhat. Antonio and Lovino quickly looked to each other, before looking back at Alfred.

“Recently,” Lovino answered, “Are you ok?”

“Fuck… Fucking, fucking fuck!” Alfred hissed, “I can’t let him leave me… I can’t, I fucking can’t live without him…”

“Hang on, stop saying that shit!” Antonio snapped, stopping Alfred before the American could march past him. This act of bravery made Alfred stare at Antonio like a hunter zoning in on prey, and left Alfred wondering what he would have to do if the Spaniard remained in his way. “What is going on, Alfred?! Don’t lie to us!”

Alfred’s eyes narrowed as he glared into Antonio’s passionate green eyes, seeing that the cogs had started turning in Antonio’s mind. He was questioning Alfred’s character, and everything that he thought he knew about the American, and he could already imagine what ideas Antonio was coming up with… But Alfred could already see it: Antonio and Lovino be guessing about him already, maybe even the word ‘stalker’ was floating around in their thoughts.

“Fucking answer him, you bastard!” Lovino snapped, pushing himself past Antonio, looking into Alfred’s eyes, like the Italian was trying to read him. Lovino looked as pissed and suspicious as Antonio, growling, Lovino added his own burning question. “Why?!”

“Hey, I need to get to him, stop wasting my time—”

“You’re not going anywhere until you answer us!” Lovino snapped, lifting his trembling finger at Alfred. Hah… They were just like Francis, struggling to come to terms with what was happening right in front of them, they broke when confronted with the possibility that Alfred was be the one they were trying so hard to protect Arthur from, “Why can’t you let Arthur leave!? What’s going on, Alfred!? Don’t do this, you know what’s been going on!”

Because of how good Lovino had been for Alfred, he couldn’t help but take this as betrayal. Lovino had always been there to believe Alfred’s story, and impact the morale of the group, Lovino also got Antonio away from Arthur, he believed that Ivan was the stalker, he believed that Gilbert was a drug dealer, Lovino was always there for Alfred to count on as a loyal pawn. Sighing, Alfred rolled his head and leant down to be at eye level with the Italian; seeing that he was trying so hard to not be afraid…

“Oh, God-dammit, Lovino…” Alfred hissed, his eyes darkening with anger, all while keeping his terrifying smile across his lips, “You’ve been so good to me up until now, can’t you just cooperate with me one more fucking time…?”

“… What…?” Lovino whimpered, now finally showing the glint terror in his eyes, but in this cocktail of emotion, Alfred was sure that he could see the glistening shimmer of hurt in his eyes.

“Alfred, stop this!” Antonio growled, pushing Alfred back from Lovino, eyes wide with fury, “Why are you acting like this, what is going on!? Are you…?”

Alfred smiled, and could see the chill it sent down Antonio and Lovino’s spines. Alfred could see their suspicions rising, but Alfred did not care, he wanted them to know, so maybe then they will stay out of his way.

“You’re not gonna stop me from seeing Arthur, I’m not letting him get on that fucking plane, I swear to God,” Alfred growled, he was just about ready to pounce on the Spaniard if he stood in his way for any longer. But, Alfred chuckled, tilting his head as he smiled, looking past Antonio to smirk at Lovino, “If anything, you should be helping me, Lovino, you owe me…”

“What?!” Antonio snapped.

Alfred was enjoying the look of fear and confusion on Antonio and Lovino’s faces, so he continued, “Remember, the first Friday of the semester, at that party? You were watching Antonio try to get with Arthur, pain staining your eyes. You were gonna let them make-out and then do God-knows-what if it weren’t for me getting you two together… I helped you, remember…?”

“What is he talking about?” Antonio asked, looking back at Lovino.

“You used me…” Lovino gasped, not breaking his eye contact with Arthur, “Oh my God… Don’t tell me you’re—”

“That’s it! No more of this!” Antonio growled, “You’re Arthur’s fucking stalker!!” Alfred smiled darkly, which gave the couple the answers that they needed. Suddenly Antonio grabbed Alfred and pressed him against the wall, his eyes wide with fury, like he was holding himself back from punching Alfred right in his smirk, “You—You monster! Lovi, get security—AHH!”

Antonio was interrupted when Alfred punched him in the stomach, and again closer to the ribs, effectively knocking the air out of the Spaniard and forced him to his knees, clutching himself in pain.

Before Alfred could even step away from Antonio, Lovino’s fists came flying at him, but Alfred snatched the Italians arm, and quickly used his height to over-power him, before kneeing him in the stomach and throwing him against the wall.  He was tired of playing games now, the longer he took to get to the car and drive to the airport, the further he was from getting to Arthur! He was running out of time and every minute mattered!

“FUCK Y’ALL!” Alfred roared, fighting the urge to beat up the pair, but he knew that he had to run, he had to reach his sweetheart before it was too late! “I’M NOT GONNA LET HIM LEAVE ME IF IT’S THE LAST THING I FUCKING DO!!”

“SOMEONE STOP HIM!” Lovino cried as he and Antonio rose from the floor, slowed by the pain from Alfred’s assault. Then, Alfred broke into a run, determined to return to his car on the other side of campus, and drive to the airport as fast as he could!

But, Antonio and Lovino were not going to let him go easily, “SOMEONE HELP! HE’S A STALKER! STOP HIM! HE’S GOING TO HURT ARTHUR!!”

“SOMEONE HELP!”

Because of the end of semester, hardly any students were out of their rooms yet, so Alfred used this to his advantage, and quickly he escaped the international dorms.

“HEY!” A man yelled as Alfred ran into him, Alfred looked up and froze when he saw that he had run directly into Afonso, instantly, Alfred wondered whether he would have taken Arthur to the cab to the airport! He would have just seen Arthur! Alfred has some more time! Alfred knew that it took around half an hour to get to the nearest airport, so he knew that he had to move fast if he was going to catch up to Arthur. “Wait… are you...?”

Alfred couldn’t let Afonso ponder for too long, he could still hear Lovino and Antonio screaming from within the building, and so, Alfred ran away from the teacher, letting him enter the building in peace as Lovino and Antonio ran out.

“ALFRED! STOP!!” Antonio screamed as he and Lovino resumed their chase, baring the cold weather in their indoor-clothes and frosty ground, trying their best to chase Alfred as he continued to run, not concerned with the other students who were walking around.

Alfred quickly made it back to the main footpath, which had been cleared of snow and frost that morning, so he had no trouble resuming his sprint. But even with the distance he gained on Lovino and Antonio, he could still hear them screaming and cursing his name, begging people to stop him.

“Alfred!” A new voice cried, and Alfred looked back to see that Ivan was chasing him too, and quickly catching up. The Russian was far faster than he looked, and so within seconds he was running by Alfred’s side and staring at him with a confused and worried glare, like he was worried that Alfred was being falsely accused too. “Alfred, what—” The look in Ivan’s eyes changed quickly when he saw Alfred’s smirk, he immediately understood what was going on, and Ivan became enraged, “YOU!! IT WAS YOU!!”

Alfred only laughed: his deception of Ivan was still nothing but hilarious to the American, and it still was, even when Ivan was running right beside him. But then, Ivan bunched Alfred, knocking him into the wall, where then, Ivan attacked him, kneeing him twice in the stomach as he cursed in Russian.

Usually, Alfred would have been in pain, but the adrenaline kept the American going, and so he fought back, tackling Ivan to the ground and delivering three punches until Ivan kicked him back, sending Alfred to the ground.

“WHY!? WHY HURTING ARTHUR?! YOU ARE HIS FRIEND!!! MY FRIEND!!” Ivan roared, rising from the ground as Alfred ran, desperate to get to his car, which was still a few minutes’ walk away, which Alfred could easily manage if he ran.

But Ivan wasn’t done with Alfred yet, and once again, he quickly caught up and tried to get in Alfred’s way.

“SOMEONE CALL POLICE!” Ivan screamed as he tried to get his arms around Alfred. Instantly, Alfred caught onto Ivan’s plan, and knew that he couldn’t get trapped in the Russians grasp, or Alfred’s last chance to stop Arthur from leaving would be wasted! He couldn’t risk it! 

Alfred screamed in Ivan’s face, giving the Russian one more time to back off, but of course he didn’t, and Alfred looked at Ivan the same way he looked at Francis, and wondered whether he’d have to get rid of him in a similar way…

Despite seeing the manic and evil glare in Alfred’s darkened eyes, Ivan did not give up, and that only continued to piss Alfred off more. The American untightened his fists and stared at Ivan’s throat, wondering how hard he would have to squeeze to cut off his airways…

But then Alfred was cut off with another punch to the stomach, which Ivan had bent down to do, and then he moved to attempt pushing Alfred back against the wall of one of the campus buildings in an attempt to corner him. Then Alfred took advantage of having Ivan’s neck available to him, and so, he smashed he elbow into Ivan’s neck and scratched him on the face, not caring what he’s hurt. As Ivan screamed out in pain, Alfred ran away, dedicating all of his adrenaline into one final sprint, determined to get to Arthur as soon as he could, he had spent too long on Ivan, so he had to make up for the lost time!

Alfred looked back as he started to run across the bridge, and he could see the car park complex getting closer and closer, looking back, Alfred saw Antonio, Lovino and Afonso gathering around Ivan, who was on his knees. Afonso looked at Alfred, and resumed the chase, and even from that distance, Alfred could see the unrelenting fury in Afonso’s eyes.

But, Alfred knew that there was no way that the Portuguese teacher would be able to catch up to Alfred, the thought of Arthur boarding a plane to never return made Alfred feel like he could run as fast as a car. Huffing and sweating from the strenuous exercise, Alfred finally made it to the car park and raced to find his car, which was an easy find.

Confident that his enemies at the college campus were no longer threats to him, Alfred rubbed his aching stomach, nursing the oncoming bruise as he drove to the airport, driving like a madman.

He couldn’t risk losing Arthur, the message that promised future contact between them meant nothing to Alfred. Alfred had become impatient and frustrated, he believed that he was going to lose Arthur the second he lets him get on that plane! Alfred felt as though he was going to be physically sick, the idea of losing Arthur was too much for Alfred’s body to handle.

He needed him, he needed Arthur like oxygen, Alfred was so sure of it, he could feel Arthur’s presence getting closer as he drove as fast as he could, driven by determination and madness, Alfred broke the speed limit, and even ran a few red lights, thankful for the quiet roads that day and not caring about the speeding fines that he will sure receive. He did not care, he needed Arthur! He needed to see him, touch him, smell him and he desperately wanted to taste him! Alfred was done being nice and waiting, Arthur needed to know about his feelings and not get on that plane!

He was not going to let Arthur leave, he was not going to let Arthur get anywhere near that plane, he didn’t care if he had to drag Arthur back home by his ankles! Alfred had thought of the entire plan, he was going to get Arthur, and take him back to his house! He didn’t care, he’d think of something to do about Matthew later—he needed to keep Arthur safe! He couldn’t let Arthur leave him! He can’t leave him! 

Alfred could feel his anxiety only become worse the more he thought about it, Arthur going to England without him would leave him open and exposed to any man interested, and Alfred wouldn’t be there to protect Arthur—He won’t have Arthur to hold, to talk to or to see! Alfred could not imagine himself handling months without Arthur very well, he killed Francis after just over a week of not seeing Arthur, imagine what Alfred would do if he didn’t see his precious Arthur for months!

He could not imagine like where he could not see Arthur’s smile often, it scared him so much, he cried whenever he was caught behind a slow driver or a red light he couldn’t skip. He was only getting worse with every passing minute.

Alfred abandoned his car nearby the airport and ran the rest of the way, not wanting to waste time finding a proper place to park, he could not waste his time on such trivial things! Alfred ran as fast as he could to the international departures, not caring how many people he had to push through.

But suddenly, he stopped when he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket, Alfred checked, sighing with relief when he saw Matthew.

 In his manic state, Alfred only associated Matthew with good things, and so Alfred answered his phone as he ran through the international departures baggage checking area, his eyes constantly on the lock out for Arthur.

“Matt!” Alfred gasped.

“Alfred!” Matthew replied, “Alfred, what the fuck is going on!? Why has Antonio told me that you’re Arthur’s stalker!?”

“FUCK!” Alfred snapped, bursting into tears as he griped his hair hard enough to pull it out. But, he didn’t want to focus on what Matthew said, he was too far gone, all he could think about was Arthur, “Arthur’s at the airport! I can’t see him! I’m freaking out, Matt—I can’t let him leave me!!”

“Al—Oh my God! Oh my God, it is you! It’s you! You—”

“HE CAN’T LEAVE ME, MATT!!” Alfred snapped, “I love him! I can’t live without him!”

“Alfred! Calm down! You need to stop! How long has this been going on?!” Matthew asked, in his voice, even Alfred could tell that Matthew was struggling to find the right words to say. But hearing his little brothers voice helped make Alfred focus as he ran by each check-in desk, searching for Arthur.

“Since the second I saw him! You don’t understand, I’m so in love!“ Alfred explained, “None of you do! I need him! I need him!”

“Oh my fucking God, you need to stop! Listen to me, please! You need to stop!” Matthew cried.

“I’m not giving up on him, don’t you dare tell me to give up on him! I’ve worked so fucking hard to protect him, no one is gonna stand in my way, not even you, Matt!!” Alfred snapped, breathing deeply as he continued his search, relieved to see that there was a whole other area for him to explore, he still has a chance of finding his love!

“Al…” Matthew gasped, “What—you...”

“Yeah?”

“What did you do to Francis…?” Matthew asked.

At this question, Alfred froze where he stood, as the image of his hands around Francis’ throat returned to his mind, and the fact that he saw police tap bordering the forest near the international dorms… Matthew could have just figured it out…

“Alfred… Answer me…” Matthew gasped, before wheezing loudly enough for Alfred to hear, “Tell me you didn’t—did you hurt him?” 

“He was gonna take Arthur away from me…” Alfred grumbled, listening to Matthew cry out on the other end of the phone.

“Oh-Oh my God,” Matthew choked, “I’m gonna throw up—Alfred, please for the love of God, don’t hurt Arthur!”

“Don’t you dare suggest I’d hurt him—”

“You’re angry and you don’t know your own strength!—fucking shit! Should have I known, Alfred?! What the fuck!?” Matthew snapped, pain tinting his once sweet voice, “Don’t do ANYTHING! Just come back here, please!!”

“And lose Arthur?! NO!” Alfred replied, “I am gonna find him and tell him why he can’t leave me!”

“But what if he says no?” Matthew asked.

At this, Alfred froze, wondering whether he should be honest with Matthew about Alfred’s darkest secrets. But then again, he’s confessed everything already, what more is there that he could lose in relation to his brother, besides, he’s already been silent for too long, and Alfred could tell that Matthew was already imaging the worst. “That won’t matter, he’s coming with me whether he wants to or not.”

“ALFRED, NO! DON’T—”

Matthew was silenced by the click of a button, and Alfred resumed his search for Arthur after switching off his phone. Alfred then resumed his job around the international check-in desks, more desperate than ever, because he knew that Matthew was probably already ringing the Sheriffs office to dob Alfred in, and ruin everything he set out to do!

Alfred had become desperate enough to whimper as he looked around, feeling like a child losing a parent, the tears that formed in his eyes had even started to hinder his vision, and every face started to look the same to him, but none of them were Arthur!

Alfred was crumbling more and more, a second he spent looking for Arthur was a second further away Arthur was getting—he couldn’t have already gone to the terminal?! The terminal was in a place that Alfred couldn’t reach, so Alfred would have missed his opportunity! He would have lost Arthur!

 There was a line of people who were entering the terminals, getting their tickets checked before they could make their way through airport security.

Finally, Alfred froze when he saw him… It felt just like the first time Alfred saw him… Even from across the area, Alfred found his eyes locked and heart racing because of him… Even just seeing his face alone sent Alfred’s heart into overdrive, Alfred was sure that he was going to faint. Arthur’s messy blonde hair framed his perfect doll face and as Alfred got closer he could start to see the passionate green hue in his round eyes between a set of brunette eyebrows and purple hued bags, he looked so mysterious and handsome, Alfred found himself instantly hooked. The closer he got, Alfred could see that Arthur looked almost exactly like a doll, a soft pixie nose, a flawless porcelain complexion with red pigment across his cheeks as well as perfectly symmetrical features and his blank expression. He looked like a painter’s finest work.

Arthur… His Arthur was standing in the line, carrying his bag and a small neck-pillow with the union jack on it! He was dressed for a long Trans-Atlantic flight, with a black t-shirt, green jacket and grey sweat-pants which hugged his legs in all the right places. He looked so comfortable and soft: Alfred was desperate to get him into his arms and cuddle him!   

And so, Alfred ran and within seconds, he took Arthur into his arms and pushed him out of the line to the terminals.

“AH!!” Arthur cried, tensing in Alfred’s arms as he struggled and breathed deeply, like he was about to have a panic attack. “NO! PLEASE—"

“ARTHUR!!” Alfred screamed, finally giving in to his tears, and Arthur was silenced when he recognised the Americans voice, “ARTHUR, YOU CAN’T LEAVE, PLEASE!”

“Alfred?!” Arthur asked, freezing, before struggling to turn around in Alfred’s arms, so they finally could look at each other, and Arthur could see the sheer desperation in Alfred’s eyes, as the tears flowed. “What—What are you doing?!”

“I can’t let you leave, please, please don’t leave!” Alfred explained, holding Arthur tightly and watching the look in his eyes as Alfred spoke. “I-I need you!”

“Alfred?” Arthur asked, frowning as he placed his hands against Alfred’s chest, after forcing them out of Alfred’s tight hug. Alfred could see the growing fear in Arthur’s eyes as Alfred started to guide him further away from the crowd, and into the seating area, where less people were there to hear their conversation: and Arthur had less of a chance of running away. “What’s going on?”

“I love you…” Alfred whispered, lifting on hand to place it on Arthur’s pale cheek, amazed at the softness. Immediately, Arthur’s eyes widened and his mouth hung slightly open as he looked into Alfred’s eyes.

“What—”

“I love you!” Alfred repeated, “Fuck, I’ve love you since the second I saw you!” Suddenly, Arthur’s expression dropped as the realisation came to him and hit him like a tonne of bricks, and the Englishman had become a statue in Alfred’s arms. All while Alfred kept smiling at him as tears ran down his cheeks. “The idea of losing you drives me crazy, I don’t know what I’d do without seeing your smile…”

“Alfred—” Arthur stuttered, the colour draining from his face.

“I’m done hiding in the shadows, I need to be with you!” Alfred explained, holding Arthur so tightly, he was sure that Arthur was going to snap in half, the look on Arthur’s face reflected it.

Arthur had completely frozen, so much so, Alfred wasn’t only sure that Arthur was alive because he could feel the Englishman’s racing heartbeat, which only told Alfred good things. He’s in shock, how cute… He looked so sweet and cute, standing with his eyes locked with Alfred’s wide and glistening as his lips, his moist and kissable lips hung slightly apart. If Alfred wasn’t too lost in his words, he would have kissed Arthur then and there.

“I’m obsessed with you.”

At this confession, Arthur stuttered, and Alfred could see that the Englishman was struggling to find the right words to say, he was stunned, and Alfred thought of it as nothing more than encouragement. Arthur had gotten so warm in Alfred’s arms, he had become a hot-water bottle for Alfred to cuddle.

“I just couldn’t help myself, you’re so beautiful and magnetic, you’ve cast some kinda spell on me, I haven’t been able to think straight since the second I saw you sitting there in the plaza all those months ago. Those other people were no good for you, baby—I have to have you all to myself or I don’t know how I’m gonna live.” Alfred breathed deeply as he ran his hand down Arthur’s face, feeling the soft skin along his jaw, as his thumb rubbed Arthur’s burning cheek. “I can make you so, so happy, all I need is that one chance, I swear, you and I can be happy together forever. That’s all I want…”

“Oh—God…” Arthur choked struggling against Alfred’s grip, but Alfred refused to let him go, firmly planting his hand on Arthur’s back, holding him in place as he continued to caress his face.

“I need to have you in my arms and I need you to love me as much as I love you. Oh God, please say you love me, and mean it…” Alfred explained, the shock on Arthur’s expression pushing him to go harder. He was too far gone now.

“Alfred!” Arthur wheezed trembling as his eyes began to water, choking, Arthur struggled and tried to wriggle his way out of Alfred’s grip, but Alfred was not going to give up. He wanted Arthur to give up, and he didn’t care how long he had to squeeze Arthur in order to get it.

“Ohhhh, it’s ok, sweetheart,” Alfred whispered, smiling as he leaned into Arthur to softly run his nose across Arthur’s hairline, slowly inhaling the intoxicating scent. Alfred could hear Arthur’s trembling breathes and raging heartbeat, and he could feel the heat radiating from Arthur’s skin. “I’ve waited so long for this…”

Arthur shuddered, and Alfred could feel the tears that ran down Arthur’s cheek run wet his finger, that was when Alfred stopped inhaling Arthur’s hair and looked down at him, seeing the torrent of tears that streamed down Arthur’s face. Curious, Alfred took the tear-stained finger and licked the finger, smiling at Arthur and staring into his glistening green eyes. The tears were salty but sweet on his tongue, the sensation sending a tingle through Alfred’s entire body, it tasted so good, Alfred couldn’t help but feel tempted to lick the remaining tears from Arthur’s face, and left him wondering what other parts of Arthur’s body tasted like—the tears were only the beginning.

The intimacy was driving Alfred crazy, Arthur made his heart beat in a way that it never had before; looking at him gave Alfred a new experience of joy and wonder, as well as curiosity and excitement. A whirlpool of feelings stirred in his stomach as he looked into Arthur’s eyes and touched his face. It was the emotional high that Alfred had been craving for the past few months…

But Arthur stared at Alfred like he was terrified of him, his entire body was still trembling, like Alfred’s grasp was the only thing keeping him upright. He looked like he was about to faint.

“Come with me…” Alfred stated, “Come with me, live with me—Oh my God, Baby, fuck, marry me… We’ll be the happiest people in the universe.”

“No…” Arthur trembled, staring deeply into Alfred’s eyes, as his sadness and fear suddenly disappeared, and was replaced with anger, “No!” Arthur started to growl as he properly fought against Alfred’s strong grip, “Let go of me!”

Alfred’s eyes narrowed as he only held on tighter to Arthur, this was not the way he wanted it to go, so he supposed he would have to force Arthur after all.

“LET GO!” Arthur snapped, “Fuck! Alfred!”

Hearing Arthur say his name like that only made him hotter, and made Alfred more persistent. Gritting his teeth, Alfred held on tighter to Arthur, even momentarily lifting the Englishman off his feet as Arthur began to fuss.

“No! You are not leaving me!” Alfred growled.

“You wrote those fucking letters! I can’t believe this, I fucking trusted you!!” Arthur cried, both sobbing and yelling. “I let you in and you hurt me!! You knew what those letters were doing to me! I—What did I do to you?! What the fuck!?”

“Arthur, please calm—”

“Fuck you! I will not calm! You’re a fucking stalker!!” Arthur snapped, placing his hands against Alfred’s chest to try to push away from him.

“I’m in love with you, Arthur!” Alfred snapped, “I’m not gonna let you go! I’m not letting anyone get in our way anymore! I’m never going to let you go, Arthur, no matter what happens! I’ve done way too fucking much to keep you safe, so I ain’t letting get taken away from me!”

Suddenly, Arthur stopped, and Alfred smiled down at him, thinking that he had finally given up his fight, but there was still anger stirring in Arthur’s passionate green eyes. “What did you do to Francis…?”

At this question, Alfred frowned before leaning into Arthur, so their noses brushed together. Looking into Alfred’s eyes, he could see that Arthur was paralysed with fear, so he may as well use it to his advantage. “Don’t worry about him, he isn’t in my way anymore… It’s just you and me now…”

With that, Alfred pressed his lips against Arthurs. The effect was immediate and Alfred instantly lost himself in the magic of their first kiss. Reeling with excitement, Alfred closed his eyes and placed his hand on Arthur’s cheek to keep the Englishman steady, as he had frozen from shock over the bold and romantic action.

Arthur’s eyes remained wide open, and more tears found their way down Arthur’s cheeks, racing like raindrops on a window. Alfred felt Arthur’s entire body tense in his arms, like he had just watched a car crash, so Alfred took this as an advantage to bring him in closer, so close, Alfred could feel Arthur’s racing heartbeat, was he as excited as Alfred, or was this for something else…? Alfred elected to ignore it, wanting nothing to take him away from the moment that his lips met Arthurs, this was a moment that he wanted to have engraved in his memory for the rest of his life…  

Arthur’s lips were so soft, and Alfred loved the way they fit perfectly against his, it had to be fate… A buzz of joy, adrenaline and absolute bliss ran through Alfred like a wave, cleansing Alfred of any guilt or remorse—it told him that what he did was right, what he did was worth it. Arthur’s lips were worth climbing the highest mountains and destroying the worst of enemies. Alfred would do anything to keep Arthur like this, with his lips against Alfred’s.

After a few moments of simply pressing his lips to Arthur’s, Alfred craved more, and as he relaxed his hold on Arthur, he deepened the kiss. But Arthur remained still as still as a statue as Alfred’s hands settled on his hip and his neck. It was still the best kiss that Alfred had ever had, it made all of his other senses come to life, and his curiosity as to what Arthur tasted like was finally satisfied. Alfred could have done this forever, tasting Arthur’s spit mixed with the spearmint gum he would have been chewing earlier.

But then, as soon as Alfred slid his tongue past Arthur’s teeth, he heard his sweetheart gasp, before a sudden rush of pain stung Alfred, forcing his stinging tongue past Arthur’s teeth. “Ahh!” Alfred gasped in pain, realising that Arthur had bitten him.

But it only got worse when he felt Arthur’s fist collide with Alfred’s gut, and his knee meet with Alfred’s groin. But even then, Alfred still refused to let go of Arthur, he latched onto his sweetheart like his life depended on it.   

“LET GO OF ME!! LET GO!! STOP!!” Arthur screamed, “SOMEONE HELP!! DON’T FUCKING TOUCH ME!! GET THE FUCK OFF ME, ALFRED!! HELP!!”

Within seconds, airport security was onto them, and forcing themselves between Alfred and Arthur, to which, Alfred roared as he desperately held onto Arthur’s jacket, “NO!! NO!! ARTHUR!! DON’T GO!! DON’T!! NO!!” 

“GET OFF!!” Arthur screamed, and following one more tug from the officer, Arthur was freed from his jacket, and free from Alfred. Alfred held on to the article of clothing as tightly as he could and even held it against his mouth and nose as the police officers held him in place as he tried to reach Arthur. It took three officer to keep Alfred still, and two were standing by Arthur, who was watching Alfred with wide eyes.

“PLEASE-PLEASE YOU CAN’T LEAVE ME!” Alfred sobbed, holding onto the jacket like it was his own security-blanket.

“WHERE IS FRANCIS?!” Arthur asked, shaking, “Where the fuck is Francis?! What have you done to him?!”

“FORGET ABOUT HIM!!” Alfred roared, “I’M HERE NOW!!”

“FUCK YOU!!” Arthur roared.

“DON’T SAY THAT, SWEETIE, OR I’LL MAKE YOU FUCKIN REGRET IT!!” Alfred growled, needing the officers to restrain him as he tried to run at Arthur, determined to make good on his promise.

“TRY ME, ALFRED! FUCKING TRY ME!!” Arthur cried, roaring with anger despite the tears in his eyes, “I’m not afraid of you! You have done nothing but torture me with your creepy and shitty letters, and then you comfort me when I cry over them and pretend that you want to fucking protect me! I trusted you, I fucking trusted you, you fucking freak! WHERE THE FUCK IS FRANCIS?!”

“NO! I’LL FUCKING CHANGE YOUR MIND! YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT I CAN DO FOR YOU! PLEASE! GIVE ME A CHANCE!” Alfred cried, kicking and fighting against the grip of the officers, becoming more and more frantic as they held him back from Arthur. “ARTHUR!! NO MATTER WHERE YOU GO, I’LL FOLLOW YOU!! YOU’RE MINE!!”

“NO, I’M NOT!!” Arthur snapped, “YOU DON’T FUCKING CONTROL ME! YOU DON’T OWN ME!!” Suddenly, Arthur dropped to his knees, sobbing, “JUST TELL ME WHERE HE IS! WHERE IS HE?!”

Alfred wanted to scream, he huffed like an animal and stared at Arthur with enraged eyes, Francis is gone—why is he still making Alfred’s life hard?! Alfred wheezed in pain as his heart ached, yearning to be by Arthur’s side.

“ARTHUR!!” Alfred screamed, only becoming more infuriated when Arthur didn’t look at him, but kept crying into his hands, “ARTHUR!! SWEETHEART! DARLING! BABY! ARTHUR!! PLEASE!”

“Come on, bud, know when to let it go,” One officer explained, “Also, are you Alfred Jones?”

“Yes…” Alfred replied, freezing when he heard the clicking of a pair of handcuffs from behind him.

“We’ve gotten a call from the Rockford Sheriff, they want to speak to you.” Another officer explained, “Please, come with us.”

“NO!! SHIT! NO!” Alfred snapped, jumping and fighting the officers as one tried to get the handcuffs around his wrist. “ARTHUR, PLEASE!! I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU SO MUCH! PLEASE DON’T LEAVE ME! LET ME LOVE YOU, I ONLY WANT TO LOVE YOU!”

“No, you don’t, Alfred!” Arthur growled, finally rising to his feet in a huff, he then turned to his side, giving Alfred the cold shoulder as the American continued to cry and beg. “If the Sheriff wants to speak to him, then he should speak to me too, I have a world of things I could say about him and my flight isn’t for a few hours. In fact, fuck it, I want him to rot in hell, so I don’t care if I miss it!”

“ARTHUR!” Alfred screamed, so loudly that he was sure he had attracted the attention of the entire airport.

Arthur’s eyes were red with tears but cold as he turned his head to look at Alfred, staring at the American with a glare that brought Alfred to his knees, heartbroken. Alfred felt as though he had been shot, his heart was ripped in two as he stared into Arthur’s cold and loveless eyes. This was wrong, this was all wrong! Alfred continued to sob as he stared at Arthur, crying for the love he was losing before his own eyes. He wasn’t prepared to lose Arthur like this, everything was wrong and it was destroying Alfred.

Arthur growled, “I will make you pay for everything you’ve done! To think, I actually liked you.”

“Arthur…” Alfred gasped, after yelling for so much, he was out of breath. He didn’t want to breathe anymore, he didn’t want to breathe in a world where he didn’t have Arthur. And Alfred was so close to snapping.  

“Go away, don’t ever say my name again,” Arthur continued, snarling at Alfred in a way that made Alfred feel like he had been stabbed with a knife.

But then… That’s what made him snap.

Faster than the officers could hold him back, Alfred dropped the jacket as he got up and charged at Arthur, with eyes that were ready to kill. How dare Arthur go against Alfred’s fantasy! Alfred had everything all planned for them, AND HE’S RUINED IT! The beast returned to Alfred, and this time, it wanted Arthur and it was fuelled by vengeance and spite—Alfred did swear that he was going to have Arthur to himself, whether he wanted it or not.

Alfred caught a glimpse of Arthur’s eyes widening and face paling, and for a second, he looked just like Francis as Alfred’s hands were tightening around the Frenchman’s neck.

An electric buzz roared through the air, and suddenly, Alfred was on the floor screaming in pain as the same electric buzz roared through his entire body. The electric shock of the taser gun rendered him helpless as he laid flat on the airport floor, shaking as the officers swarmed over him and finally forced his wrists into a pair of handcuffs.

Alfred tilted his head upwards to look at Arthur one more time, only to see him walking away… Waling away from Alfred, walking away from Alfred’s hopes and dreams, and Alfred’s world crumbled around him as his head started to spin. Alfred needed Arthur more than he needed food or oxygen, and the cold reality of Arthur’s rejection hit Alfred as hard as a truck.

“ARTHUR!” Alfred screamed, his heart breaking when Arthur didn’t turn back to look at him. “ARTHUR!”

Alfred watched the love of his life walk away, leaving Alfred to writhe and cry out in pain over his undying and forever obsessive love.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my God, I can't believe it's over
> 
> I just want to quickly say thank you so much to everyone for reading, and especially to those who have commented on every chapter, you guys are what drove me to put so much effort into this, and have made it all worthwhile.
> 
> Just a note: I'm letting you guys know that an epilogue is in the works   
> I've been thinking about doing one since chapter 8, and honestly, after seeing the support for one, I think it's worth writing, as there are still so many questions to answer.


	17. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I couldn't resist writing this Epilogue! I really hope you all enjoy this extension of the ending 
> 
> And hey, why not one more fact? 
> 
> While only a minority of stalking cases end in fatality, either through murder or suicide, studies have found high rates of post-traumatic stress, anxiety and depression among victims who seek help. Therefore, it is critical that victims of stalking receive appropriate assistance

Arthur was ready to face him, he told himself that dozens of times as he adjusted his black tie in the mirror, hearing the rain patter against his window. The big day had finally come, and Arthur was ready to sit in a courtroom and stare at the man who ruined his life and killed his closest friend and act as a witness.  

The anniversary of Francis’ death was last week, so Arthur couldn’t help but link Alfred’s conviction to sweet justice. That is, if Alfred is convicted – that’s what today was about.

Arthur stared at himself in the mirror, trying to remember what his therapist told him: it wasn’t his fault. But even with this affirmation, Arthur couldn’t help but feel guilty or ashamed over his situation… His best friend was murdered because another man wanted a romantic relationship with him, and saw their friendship as a threat. Arthur couldn’t help but conclude that Francis was dead because of him. It could only make sense: Alfred did all of these awful things because of him, because he wanted him.

Arthur wanted to know every single detail of what drove Alfred to do such a heinous and extreme thing as he was driven to the Courthouse, which was taking place in Rockford, the place where all of the madness unfolded one year ago. Arthur had so many burning questions, he barely could prioritise them. There was also so much that Arthur wanted Alfred to pay for, he wanted the American to pay for every nightmare, every panic attack and every sleepless night he suffered through because of him.

Even after all this time, Arthur was still suffering because of what Alfred did to him, he still had nightmares of rape, kidnap and murder, he even had one the night before he flew to America with Francis’ family to see the trial and the person who murdered one of their own. Instead of being a faceless figure like it was during that awful semester; it was Alfred, it was all Alfred, and it only made the nightmares worse...

Arthur remembered the contents of nearly every letter, and they still scared him. He remembered every vivid description of what Alfred wanted to do to his body and his mind— Alfred truly wanted to own Arthur. He wanted Arthur to be some kind of sick and devoted fuck-doll for him and Alfred was not going to give Arthur a choice. He was going to strip Arthur of his independence and his lively-hood and then expect Arthur to love him for it.

What made Arthur feel worse about it, was the fact that he actually liked Alfred, and even considered dating him. While now it made Arthur sick to think about it, he considered Alfred as a nice and trustworthy person, and was impressed by how much Alfred seemed to care about him. Arthur thought about how he would lay close to Alfred, and even hug him, and how he loved how warm and safe he felt in Alfred’s arms. It was a sadistic irony.  

Arthur was supposed to be studying for his degree in England, but instead, he was back in America and about to go face to face with his stalker. But, he figured that he needed this, he needed to see Alfred punished for what he did to him and to Francis, whose only crime was being Arthur’s friend.

Alfred was Arthur’s friend too, and that’s what made the ordeal so much worse. Arthur not only trusted Alfred, he liked him, he genuinely liked him, even though he was destroying his life behind his back. It took Arthur weeks to actually process it, the guy who he relied on was the one who was ruining him.

Arthur wanted to die every time he received a letter, he would have burned all 87 of them if he didn’t need to keep them as evidence, and he wouldn’t have read them either if it weren’t to make sure that his stalker hadn’t made any threats or named specific times or events. Those letters had Arthur constantly looking over his shoulder, and it made him terrified whenever he caught someone looking at him. Even to that day, a smile from a stranger filled Arthur with dread.

All because of Alfred, all because of his extreme obsession.

It was all a game wasn’t it? It was some kind of sick game to Alfred, where Arthur was the prize.

It left Arthur half-empty, and a shell of who he used to be. He didn’t crave intimacy anymore, and never went out of his way, even if it was for something he considered fun. Nothing was worth the effort, or the risk anymore, Arthur was not going to risk attracting the interests of anyone like Alfred ever again.

Alfred had well and truly sucked the soul out of Arthur, and he hasn’t been the same since. He was so bad at one point, Arthur had considered taking his own life. Until he got the help he needed, and came to terms with the fact that Francis wouldn’t have wanted that, and his death would only cause more pain for everyone; it wasn’t worth it, no matter how hard it got. He wasn’t going to give Alfred that much power over his fate…

And so, Arthur took in a deep breath as the entire courtroom went silent, and the reality finally hit Arthur and he realised that this was happening. He was not only going to view the trial, but take part in it as a witness and provide a testimony to the jury, and so he was seated close to the front of the courtroom, but was still in the audience, where he sat with Francis’ parents. Arthur looked over to Francis’ mother, who was sitting next to him, her soft pale hands were clutching onto a photo of Francis, smiling. Arthur whispered to her in French, promising that everything was going to be ok, even though he couldn’t even promise that to himself.

Arthur even looked over to the other end of the courtroom and past the jury, where he saw a face he hadn’t seen in over a year. Although, he had some mixed feelings, because it was the brother of his stalker. But still, when Matthew looked at him and gave a sot smile, Arthur couldn’t help but feel at least a little bit soothed—even if he was sitting on Alfred’s side of the courtroom.

Alfred was going to come out in a few minutes, and Arthur started to panic, his year of preparation for this day seemed to fly out the window. His palms started to sweat, his knee bounced and his heart raced out of control as he could see the American getting closer and closer. He was so anxious; would Alfred try to attack him again when he sees him? Would he try to grab him, or kiss him again?

The look in his eyes when the American launched himself at him still terrified Alfred to that day and haunted him in his nightmares… Those eyes were blue and full of fury, like he was about to punch him in the face for rejecting him. When Arthur rejected Alfred’s fantasy, it was too much for him, and so he broke into a violent fit—Arthur should have been prepared for that, he did his research on stalkers with Francis… Arthur still remembers it, he and Arthur would be sitting in his room all night, looking up facts about stalkers, desperate to find a way to deter this guy, or find a way for Arthur to protect himself better. Francis stayed with him, no matter how paranoid or ridiculously scared Arthur became. But, little did they know, they were seeing his stalker every day…

It still made Arthur sick to his stomach, Francis and Arthur both trusted Alfred so much… Only for him to betray them like this. The fact that Arthur trusted Alfred completely, and even offered to see him in England only made Arthur feel worse…

For a year, Arthur blamed himself, he blamed himself for what Alfred had done… Should have he known that his stalker was right in front of him? Did he encourage him? Just thinking about it made his cheeks burn, because he knows that he smiled at Alfred, a lot… And the smile that he returned was so sweet and genuine, there was no way that Arthur could have known the perverted and creepy thoughts behind that smile…

Finally, the courtroom fell into silence as the defendant, Alfred, entered the courtroom, escorted by two police officers on each side. Arthur’s heart fell into his stomach when Alfred looked at him as he walked by, dressed in a pair of court-issued orange overalls with long sleeves that were rolled up to his elbows, and a pair of handcuffs kept Alfred’s wrists restrained. The feeling was only worsened when Alfred’s eyes widened and a sick smile curved his lips, he even dared to wander from the officers to get closer to Arthur’s side of the courtroom, only to be pulled back on track by the officers.

Alfred’s stare was predatory and hungry, and Arthur would tell that his obsession had not dispersed at all, but it seems as though the distance between them had only made it worse. Even when Arthur forced himself looked away before he stared to cry, he could tell that Alfred was still staring at him. That was when Arthur felt Francis mother whisper to him that he wasn’t going to get anywhere near Arthur as the entire courtroom rose for the judge.

“Calling forward the case of the people of the State of Illinois verses Mr Alfred Franklin Jones.”

Alfred was then sworn in, and the trial proceeded.

The Deputy DA was the first to stand, “Your Honour and ladies and gentlemen of the jury: the defendant has been charged with the crime of murder of Francis Bonnefoy, a French international student. The evidence will show that Mr Jones had the motive and the capabilities of committing such a horrid act.”

Alfred’s lawyer then stood with a smirk, “Your Honour and ladies and gentlemen of the jury, my client, Mr Alfred Jones does accept that what happened to Mr Francis Bonnefoy was a tragedy, but claims his obsessive love for another student pushed him to do it. I ensure that once the jury learns what my client felt he had to do in order to preserve the love he has for another; they will see that there is no way he can be held completely liable for what he did during his state of mind. We all know that love can push people to do anything they feel is necessary. We plead not guilty by reason of insanity.”

Arthur’s eyes widened as he sucked in a sharp breath, this bastard was going to blame his obsession with Arthur for his crime! The bastard! The fucking bastard was trying to avoid taking full responsibility! Arthur’s blood heated up as his hands tightened into fists, cursing Alfred as he turned his head to look at him, only to see that Alfred’s eyes were already on Arthur, like he was waiting to see his reaction! The sick bastard!

Arthur wanted to start crying as the trial proceeded, and the situation was explained to the jury by Alfred’s lawyer. Alfred’s intention was easily recognised, he was trying to use ‘love’ as a means to explain himself!

What made it worse, was that Alfred was still looking at him! Even after his lawyer tapped on his shoulder to take back his attention, all Alfred gave a shit about was Arthur, and it was driving him insane!

Arthur could hear his name being said in the courtroom, but he was too dizzy to properly understand what was going on, just being near Alfred was making him so anxious and afraid. Every nightmare was coming back to him at once, and it was like being hit by a train.

Not even squeezing the hand of Francis’ mother calmed Arthur’s anxiety as the trial continued. And it was only made worse when a diagram of a human body was shown on an electronic board, and a picture of Francis’ body and his impromptu grave was shown. Arthur swallowed his anxiety and tried so hard to not cry…

Instead, he closed his eyes and remembered all of the good times he had with Francis… How they’d walk around Paris or London together, how they’d get drunk together and make absolute fools of themselves because they didn’t care… How they considered each other as brothers… How much they loved each other…

“Francis…” Arthur whimpered, looking at the picture of Francis’ dead and partially frozen face which had turned blue, black and purple from the cold and the decay, especially around his neck, where Alfred stole his last breath with the tight grip of his hands… Even in this state, Arthur could still recognise his best friend, seeing a photo of him lying on a cold metal table, or in a shallow grave, he'd always know his best friend when he saw him … “I’m so sorry…” 

Seeing Francis' face only brought back more memories and more pain, and Arthur found himself unable to look away as the detective described the condition of Francis' body, and detailed every injury that littered it, in excruciating detail. 

And then, a psychologist was called to the stand in order to give testimony to Alfred’s current state of mind, and as the psychologist sighed, Arthur’s heart filled with dread.

“Mr Jones has exhibited during my observation some very concerning behaviours in relation to Mr Arthur Kirkland… His obsession is still very much alive, despite the year of no contact, and after learning his family history, I’m not shocked. I do recommend he receives help in the form of a facility in order to treat this obsessive and manic behaviour problem.”

“Can you give examples of behaviours you found concerning?” The lawyer asked.

“He is still writing letters to Arthur, even though he knows that they won’t be received, he has recognised that it is a coping system for him,” The psychologist stated, instantly Arthur froze, stunned by this admission… Alfred was still writing to him, and it made Arthur shiver to think about what could be in those letters. “But… What is in those letters is also a concerning matter, when compared to the ones he wrote when he was delivering them to Arthur’s door last year. His perception of his obsession over Arthur has not changed, he still calls it love.”

“Do you not think he’s in love?”

“I think he’s taken the concept of being in love, and blown it beyond proportion to suit his own benefit. He’s obsessive and at times manic, his letters reflect that.”

“How?”

“They show his frame of mind at the time. The letters and their dates show a perfect timeline of Alfred’s progressing state. For instance, there was a letter he delivered during a period of stress, and the letter was detailed and graphic in its possessive nature. Those letters are the most concerning, followed by the ones of sexual nature and then there are the ones that are masked as sweet love-notes.”

“What are his current letters like?”

“He’s still in a manic state of mind and he is still deep in his obsession, he wrote one last week where he swore that he was never going to give up on Arthur. And so, I feel that it is best that he gets the help and guidance that he needs in order to move forward from this… There’s also the fact that he is still staring at Mr Kirkland right now…”

All eyes instantly turned to Alfred, seeing that his eyes were indeed still fixed on Arthur, and it instantly sent a chill down his spine. Those baby blue eyes which once made Arthur feel safe were now locked onto him in a way that Arthur could only associate with hunger… Like Alfred was craving him like an addict would crave a fix. It was like their time apart had only made Alfred’s obsession stronger. It was a reality that Arthur was praying wouldn’t be true, and now that it had hit him like this, he wondered whether Alfred’s obsession would outlive any prison sentence he’s given.

“Eyes back up here, Mr Jones.” The judge ordered, stealing back the attention of the court. “I understand that there are video testimonies available.”

“Yes, your honour,” The state attorney explained, “We have interviews from those who knew Alfred during his stalking period. Four are his friends, and one is his brother.”

Arthur looked to Matthew when that was said, and he watched as his hands fell into his hands in sorrow, like he knew what was coming, and he was dreading it already.

The attorney then returned to the psychologist, “What else is there that can be said about Alfred’s obsession?”  

“Alfred’s obsession with Arthur is an equally unique, and terrifying one.” The Psychologist continued, “Recovery from this would be long and extensive, and group therapy would not work for him at all.”

“What is most concerning about his obsession?”

“That he sees nothing wrong with it,” The psychologist stated, “When speaking to him, it’s clear that he threw away all regards for Arthur’s safety and security, all so Alfred can live out his fantasy of having a loving relationship with him—despite the fact that Arthur would clearly not be a consenting party. Alfred is so… intense, and at times, he’s hostile, especially when you challenge this fantasy. Because, in his mind, he believes that this will pass, this court case, any restraining orders or any rejections are hurdles for him to jump over, and Arthur is the trophy at the end—and he believes that he will get there, no matter how many hurdles he has to knock down on his way.”

\-----

“Alfred was our friend,” Antonio explained, his face lighting up the large television screen. His interview was being recorded because he was currently in Spain, and could not make it to the trial. This was the same for Lovino, Gilbert and Ivan whose testimonies were recorded and sent to the court. Only Arthur was going to provide a live testimony. “We all trusted him so much, but he was the one sending those letters to Arthur! He tricked all of us! I feel like an idiot! He was so kind, reserved and quiet, and oh God, we all thought it was so kind of him to protect Arthur so much. But… That day that Arthur left and he snapped, I looked into his eyes right before he attacked Lovi and I, and… That wasn’t the guy we knew, that wasn’t our friend anymore… He had turned into someone else in a second… And he was terrifying. I had to restrain him because I was so scared that he was going to hurt someone if I let him leave...”

“Do you think he was capable of murder while in that state?”

“…” Antonio shuddered as he crossed his arms over his chest, tightly holding himself together as he looked to the white desk before him, “You mean, if I think he murdered Francis while like that? I don’t want to say it…”

“It’s ok, you can say anything…”

Antonio’s eyes remained fixed on the table as they narrowed with thought, Antonio was silent for at least another minute before he finally spoke again, “If he was pushed to the edge like that... Yes… And it would have been terrifying…”

“How much did you know about Arthur’s stalking problem?”

“Oh God, the poor guy…” Antonio sighed, the sadness in his eyes sent a shiver down Arthur’s spine, “He was being tortured and he couldn’t do anything about it… And Francis was so worried about him, so, so worried about him… Even I was.” Antonio went silent again to sniffle as he wiped his nose and eyes, clearly becoming emotional, “We all felt so powerless when we’d watch Arthur sit among us, trying to pretend he’s fine when he’s not… And… It’s so painful to think about how much Francis and Arthur relied on each other during this time, it was obvious that Francis was the thing that was keeping Arthur functional. It was sweet, really… They were so good for each other…”

“How close were you with Francis?”

“He, Gilbert and I went out together a lot and the three of us became really good friends,” Antonio admitted, “We were friends with everyone, even Alfred.”

“Would any of you have guessed that Alfred was the stalker?”

“No.” Antonio replied firmly, shaking his head as he leaned back in his seat, finally showing the entire courtroom the pained look in his eyes, “No…” The pain on Antonio’s face was as readable as a book. The pain from betrayal, hurt and shock were all clear from the glistening of tears in his eyes, the uneven and heavy breathes, and the redness on his cheeks. “And Francis is gone now because of it…”     

\----

“I can’t believe it, I trusted him! I fucking trusted every word he said because I thought he was my friend!” Lovino hissed, his head in his hands as he spoke to the investigator, probably trying his best to ignore the fact that his interview was being taped for the purpose of being shown in court. Arthur couldn’t help but wonder what everyone was doing right at that moment, would they be aware that their interviews were being played at this moment? “He even used me to get rid of one of his rivals.”

“How so?”

“I thought he was doing me a favour by pushing me to come onto Antonio at a party in the beginning of the semester,” Lovino explained, “It turns out he only did it so he could prevent Antonio and Arthur from hooking up… While I don’t regret doing it at all, because Antonio and I are still happy together… I just feel so gross… I feel like I hurt Arthur without even knowing it.”

Arthur didn’t blame Lovino at all… If anything, Arthur was thankful for him, but not for a reason that some would expect. He was thankful that Lovino had probably saved Antonio from something far worse, he didn’t want to imagine what Alfred would have done if Arthur had gotten a boyfriend... Not only that, but Lovino was his friend and Arthur couldn’t thank him enough for that.

Lovino’s head fell into his hands as he continued, “And because Alfred felt like he could use me as a pawn… God… I’ll never forget the way Alfred looked at me when he realised that I was going to be in his way… I can only imagine what he said to Francis before he…”

Lovino was silent for a few more minutes, before the detective asked him the next question, “Was there anything odd about Francis and Alfred’s relationship early on?”

“No… As far as anyone knew, they both wanted to protect Arthur. They didn’t really talk to each other very much, but there was nothing odd about that,” Lovino explained. “Fuck, I should have sensed that something was wrong with Alfred, he stared at Arthur a lot, but I thought that the guy was just worried about him or just zoned out. He’d stare at him with these unreadable eyes… But thinking back on it, I get it, I get completely what he was doing. This monster was right in front of our eyes, and no one saw him coming…”

“Do you think Francis was suspicious of Alfred?”

“Looking back, in the end, yes. I think Francis grew suspicious of him as the situation became worse. On… On the day he died Francis re-joined our group in the common area, the first thing he did was ask where Alfred went, he sounded worried. I told him that he said that he went to the library. But then Francis suddenly left, like something about that spooked him…” Lovino explained, “I’m not shocked that Francis was the first to figure it out, he was the closest to Arthur and wouldn’t have let anyone hurt him. But, if he suspected Alfred, he would have had good reason to. And, he would have done all he could to keep Alfred away from Arthur if he was suspicious of him… And that’s what killed him.”

\-----

“I thought he was looking after me, but he wanted to get rid of me,” Ivan explained slowly, having stated at the beginning of the interview that he was not interested in having all of his statements translated. Arthur had to admit, so far, he was proud of the Russian, it was clear that he had been studying English more because he hardly even used the interpreter who was seated next to him. “It’s sad, I cared about Arthur. I liked him a lot as friend. But, I had little crush, I admit. Francis even called me his ‘puppy’… I think he knew…”

“How did Alfred ‘get rid’ of you?”

“He framed me. He wrote a mean letter to Arthur to make him scared, then placed next letter into my bag and tricked me in revealing it to Arthur. He made Arthur think I was the stalker…” Ivan grumbled, before taking a deep breath, “I’ll never forget look in Arthur’s eyes…” After a moment of silence in which Ivan spent rubbing his hair, “But when I stayed with the group, Alfred used my anxiety, make me think group hate me. He made me be alone, just so I wasn’t around Arthur because I was big threat.”

“Why do you think that is?”

“Because he knew I could kick his ass.” Ivan grumbled, before his eyes darkened as he stared directly at the interviewer, growling, “He’s not wrong. If I knew what he was before the end, I would have destroyed him… Now that Francis dead because him… If I see him again, next murder trial will be his…”

Suddenly, a loud huff came from Alfred, drawing the attention of the entire courtroom, but after a stern look from the judge, Alfred calmed down. But Arthur kept his eyes on the American, seething from anger over his clear and blatant disrespect—this is a murder trial, how dare he!

But then, to Arthur’s dismay, Alfred turned his head to look at Arthur, his eyes widening as he locked Arthur into eye contact. Arthur froze, his heart beating in his throat as he watched Alfred’s eyes narrow as his smile widened, realising that he had caught Arthur looking at him… He looked so overjoyed, like he was going to get up and skip to Arthur, Arthur would have thought he looked gorgeous if he wasn’t so terrified of him. … How could Alfred look at him like this? This is a murder trial, not a reunion—He must truly be sick if he thinks he still has a chance with Arthur… But then again, Alfred’s obsession was never concerned about Arthur’s choice.

\------

“Eight months! I was in prison for EIGHT MONTHS before Alfred finally admitted what he did to me!” Gilbert snapped, slamming his fist on the table, which shook the camera slightly, before his head fell into his hands, “He’s destroyed my academic career and made me lose so many friends—for Arthur!”

“How did that make you feel, realising that Alfred was behind everything?”

“It destroyed me, I trusted the guy, and his brother was… Well…” Gilbert sighed, struggling to find the right words. He sighed loudly as he leaned against his hand, resting his elbow on the arm of the chair he sat on. “I was so pissed… So, so pissed. I trusted him with not only him looking out for my interests, but Arthur too. I honestly thought he cared about Arthur. Words can’t describe how hurt I was—I can only imagine what Matthew felt…”

“What made you think he could be trusted to protect Arthur?”

“Heh… I trusted him because he showed nothing to be concerned about! He was perfectly normal, and as far as I was concerned, he cared about Arthur! I will admit, he was fantastic at hiding the fact that he was Arthur’s stalker, he was subtle… The god-damn psycho, do you have any idea what he put Arthur through?!”

“I’ve heard… How close were you with Francis?”

“We became really, really good friends. He, Antonio and I used to go out together all the time—We even all agreed to meet in France after we all returned home. He was a great guy and he’d do anything for Arthur—I guess that’s clear now…” Gilbert sighed. “This is sick, this is absolutely sick, are you sure it was Alfred—because—because that doesn’t make sense! They were friends, Arthur trusted Alfred, Francis trusted Alfred! We all trusted Alfred!”

“It was him. Now we just need to figure out what pushed him to do it.”

“Arthur. That’s what pushed him, if he was that crazy for him. I didn’t read any of the letters, but what Francis told us about them was concerning enough…” Gilbert snapped, “Wherever Arthur was, it was guaranteed that Francis was there too, or wasn’t far behind. Francis even said to me that he wasn’t comfortable with Arthur being alone, and only trusted him with other members of the group, including Alfred.” But then, Gilbert chuckled, “I watched them bicker like an old married couple, Francis would insist that Arthur be guided everywhere, but Arthur insisted that he wasn’t a damsel in distress and didn’t need bodyguards… That was until the letters got worse… I watched Arthur change from a confident and cool guy to an absolute shell… I just hope he can get better someday…”

“What was Alfred like the day you were arrested?”

“Normal, he was so fucking normal, it pisses me off,” Gilbert grumbled, “I’m trying to think of when I became such a threat to him! He did such a drastic thing to me, I – fucking hell, he got me thrown in fucking jail, that is so much more than what he did to Ivan! Come on!”

“Was there anything you did for Arthur that was out of the ordinary?”

“Well, there was a night where Arthur screamed during a night terror, I heard and ran to his room and tried to break the door down—” Suddenly, Gilbert froze and he looked to the investigator, “Alfred was there when I came home and saw Arthur, I ranted to him to not give up and everything and I… I kissed his forehead… I kissed Arthur’s forehead and he sent me to fucking prison…”

At this confession, Arthur started to tremble, now he couldn’t help but feel responsible for Gilbert’s position as well… Arthur then glanced at Alfred, seeing the American sit so casually in his seat near the jury, his eyes narrowed at the screen where Gilbert’s interview was being played. Arthur couldn’t help but wonder, was it really just a kiss on the forehead which pushed Alfred to do such a horrid thing to Gilbert – was it similar to what pushed him to do what he did to Francis?  

\------

“I… I can’t help but feel like I should have known, you know… He’s my brother…” Matthew sighed, his head falling into his hands. “My best friend, I should have known if he was this crazy stalker—my damn room is right next to his, we went to campus together early morning, we had dinner together every night, we played video games: I should have seen something!”

Arthur couldn’t help but feel sorry for Matthew, he was always so soft, sweet and kind—Alfred’s true nature surprised him more than it surprised everyone else. Arthur saw Matthew the day that Alfred was arrested, and he still remembered it like it was only hours ago.

Arthur had just been driven from the airport to the Rockford’s Sheriff’s office, and was waiting to speak to the Sheriff, but Matthew was the one to walk out of the Sheriffs office, tears staining his cheeks. Although, Matthew smiled when he saw that Arthur was sitting in the waiting room… It was a small moment, but it completely relieved Arthur of any anxiety relating to Matthew, and he truly was the good-soul that Arthur believed he was.

Matthew loved and cared about his brother, despite not knowing what he was capable of; so, Arthur completely understood why Matthew refused to testify in person, but he did consent to his recorded interview being shown at the trial.

“Did he show any signs…?”

“Of course not!” Matthew gasped, struggling to hold back tears, “I… I would have known, I should have known! Like, he was acting weird and isolated himself a lot during the semester, but he only told me it was because of assignments, and I believed him… God-dammit… I should have noticed…”

“Why?”

“Because… We’re so close, we spend so much time together, we live together – he’s my best friend!” Matthew answered, before releasing a deep wheeze, “Like, it should have clicked right at the start—Alfred’s mom did the same thing! If I had asked or – or paid more attention to him… I could have prevented all of this… I feel so fucking stupid…”

A commotion in the audience caught Arthur’s attention, and so he quickly looked to see Matthew making his way past all the other seated members, crying profusely. Then a woman with long and curly blonde hair started to follow him, quietly talking to a man who was seated next to her and Matthew’s empty seats, and judging by the fact that the man looked like an older version of the two brothers, the question of who these people are was quickly answered.

Even Alfred seemed to be impacted by Matthew’s interview, Arthur could not help but look at the American and see his head deeply buried in his hands, in the first display of remorse he had shown throughout the entire trial.

“I should have known!” Matthew sobbed during his interview, “He wouldn’t have lied to me— at least, I thought he’d never lie to me… I had no idea that he was doing all of this behind my back, all this time, he was so supportive of Arthur and kind and… I wouldn’t have guessed it was him… I should have though, I feel so stupid… So fucking stupid! Now Francis is dead and… And I feel like I should have prevented it. I didn’t see what was going on with Alfred, maybe if I did, Francis would still be here…”

That last statement rocked Arthur to the core, and he truly understood what Matthew was feeling – guilt. Arthur wanted nothing more than to find Matthew and give him a hug, no wonder he couldn’t stay, his own brother is a murderer and he felt like he should have seen the signs. But, Arthur didn’t believe that at all, there was no way Matthew could have predicted this, or even stop it and Matthew’s pain only brought Arthur more grief…

“Don’t say that, Matthew…”

“Why not?! It’s true! If I had noticed or figured it out – or even asked Alfred more questions, Francis would still be here! He would still be here if I stopped Alfred… I should have known, I should have known!”

“Was there anything else in his phone call that indicated his mental state?”

 “Yeah, it didn’t feel like I was talking to Alfred, he was yelling, angry, desperate, I could tell that he was crying—It was terrifying, he sounded like he was going to shatter at any second, like, I could picture him swinging Arthur over his shoulder and running away, and he was not going to care if Arthur said no! What!? That’s not the Alfred I know… That’s not my brother…” Matthew explained, staring at the investigator with wide eyes, the pain showing on his face like a painting. “All I’m going to say is that I’m going to stand by him, even though I feel like he deserves whatever he gets. He needs all the help he can get, or he’s going to end up just like his mom, even if it comes from inside jail.”

\----

Finally, the moment had come, Arthur was called to the stand and sworn in by the judge. Arthur shivered under the weight of the stares of the entire courtroom as he sat in the small stand next to the judge, but no stare was as heavy as Alfred’s. The American’s eyes had become predatory, like he was going to jump at Arthur at any second, and despite the fear that Alfred’s stare gave Arthur, he knew that he was not going to back down.

He was going to take Alfred’s insanity defence, and destroy it… He determined to prove that not only was Alfred of sound mind when he killed Francis, and knew that what he was doing was wrong. And he was going to make Alfred rot for what he did to Francis.

And so, instead of succumbing to Alfred’s predatory stare, Arthur sat with his back straight and shoulders back, using his posture to display his newfound confidence, as well as his straight stare into Alfred’s eyes. Despite feeling like he was looking into the barrel of a gun, he did not falter.

“How close were you with Francis?”

“Extremely, we were best friends, like brothers...” Arthur explained, “I loved him.” As Arthur expected, Alfred physically shuddered, like he had just been smacked on the shoulder.  And so, Arthur kept going, wanting to make Alfred writhe in his seat, “We have been best friends since we were fifteen. I loved him more than I loved anyone before, and I will probably never will again.”

Sadly, Arthur wasn’t as strong as he thought he was, even speaking about Francis brought tears to his eyes and memories back in his mind. The love that Arthur and Francis had was strong but incredible, he would have happily ditched any boyfriend he had to go to France for the weekend if Francis needed the company, and he knew that Francis would do the same for him. But, this was good, if Arthur showed his pain and vulnerability, the jury would be more inclined to side with him.

“How did he react to you being stalked?”

“He became extremely protective, and I was thankful for that. He… He cared about me so much…” Arthur explained, “I could come to him with anything and he would help me without question, whether I needed to talk about the letters, or just needed to sleep next to someone. Looking back, I should have appreciated him more, and answered all his questions when he asked, but I… I didn’t want to make him worry…”

Alfred looked like he was seething with anger as he sat in his chair, as still as a statue with his eyes locked onto Arthur, his predatory glare not shifting in the slightest.

“Do you think he was a threat to Alfred?”

“Of course, to Alfred he’d be a threat. He was protecting me from my stalker, but little did we know, he was with us the whole time…” Arthur explained, his eyes narrowing at Alfred, “He trusted Alfred too, for a while.”

“How would you describe Alfred from the period of October to December?”

“He seemed perfectly normal, albeit, he was pretty quiet,” Arthur admitted before shuddering, “I got close to him, slept by him, and oh God, we even cuddled! We spent so much time together, especially close to and after Francis’ disappearance. I thought I could trust him, I thought he cared about me. But it turns out that’s exactly what he wanted… Me: vulnerable, alone, and with no one to turn to but him…”  

“How has this experience affected you?”

At this question, Arthurs expression faltered, if he was going to sway the jury, it was going to be now. This was do, or let Alfred get away with it, he was not going to be coy or shy, this was for Francis, and he did not care about sharing his weaknesses… He had to be strong, and so, he held his head up high and looked at the attorney who asked him the question, “My life will never be the same. Alfred has sucked the soul out of me, I have no joy for my life anymore, nor do I crave close relationships with people, out of fear that they will crush me like he did… For a long time, he ruined me. And while my mental state has improved somewhat with extensive therapy sessions, I still don’t trust anyone anymore and I am constantly in a state of anxiety… Because someone wanted to fuck me: my best friend is dead, and my mental state has been shattered … For a while, I even considered taking my own life… But then, I realised that it would mean that Alfred won, that he had so much power over me that he could impact my fate. But I wasn’t going to give him that… He’s ripped me to pieces, and I wasn’t going to give him the last one…”

With that, Arthur looked directly at Alfred to read his expression as the next question was asked.

“What was Alfred’s mental state like after the date of the murder?”

“I couldn’t tell that anything was different, I thought he was just as concerned and worried over Francis as the rest of us. But he was just being a cold-hearted liar…” Arthur grumbled. “He says he loves me, but he just wants to own me!”

Arthur shuddered when Alfred tried to stand from his seat, but was quickly pushed down by his lawyer, the entire courtroom fell into silence as Alfred adjusted in his seat, trying to ignore the fact that all eyes were on him.

“Alfred knew exactly what he was doing when he killed Francis,” Arthur stated, looking directly at Alfred as he spoke, “You knew.”

“Arthur—” The lawyer stated, trying to ask the next question.

But Arthur did not care, “You knew exactly what you were doing when you killed Francis, you were not insane! You knew what you were doing when you killed him and buried him! And you knew that it was wrong!” Arthur snapped, staring directly into Alfred’s eyes, “You killed him… You killed him because he stood in your way to me!” Arthur’s strong exterior was finally crumbling to little pieces around him, and with that came the tears. “I never did anything to you, but you ruined my life! And you say that you love me while you’re doing it.” Arthur continued to sob, but he still kept his eyes firmly on Alfred, who remained completely stoic, but Arthur could see that inside his mind, Alfred was screaming, “You are a cold psychopath, you watched me suffer and cry over what you were doing to me, and you didn’t only not stop—but you also milked it, you used it to get close to me, to trick me into trusting you! Every letter crushed a piece of my soul, you’ve been suffocating me for an entire year and now you’re still not stopping! You are a monster!” Finally, Arthur broke into a deep sob as his hands fell into his hands, and he gripped his dirty blonde hair, hard enough to nearly pull some out. He was beyond speaking and beyond repairable, the pain that Alfred had caused him over the past year fell on top of him all at once, and it was too much for him to bear.  

In his mind, he still saw Francis, laughing with him like old times, back before this entire mess began—before they even thought of going to America together! Back when Arthur was happy, when he had friends and wasn’t constantly depressed or hurting inside! He just wanted the pain to stop! He wanted his best friend back!

Before he knew it, Arthur was being guided from the stand and back to his seat and tucked neatly under the arm of Francis’ mother. He had done his duty to Francis as best he could, in legal terms at least. But still, Arthur hadn’t expected it to tear him apart like a pack of wolves at a carcass. All his pent-up guilt, grief and pain fell on top of him and suffocated him. 

But, right when Arthur thought his ordeal was over, he looked back to the stand to see that Alfred had taken his place, and he realised that his day was about to get much worse. The smile on Alfred’s face as he made eye contact with Arthur only worsened this feeling deep within Arthur’s stomach.

“Alfred… Why are you looking at Arthur right now?” Alfred’s lawyer asked, and Arthur’s face paled with dread, realising that this was a ploy to further demonstrate Alfred’s insanity plea.

“Because I missed him…” Alfred answered, leaning forward as he kept his eyes directly onto Arthur, like he was feeding from his reactions. “I missed him so much, it hurts… And that he’s crying, it’s so sad that he’s still so gorgeous when he cries…” Of course, the members of the jury reacted to this, and Arthur’s heart sank just a little bit more…

“How would you describe your feelings for Arthur?”

At this question, Alfred chuckled, “Certainly not healthy. Ever since the second I saw him, I knew I had to have him, and as time passed and more and more people got in the way, I… I got worse… Arthur was the only thing on my mind, constantly, I couldn’t live without him and the mere thought of losing him to—to THEM, pushed me over the edge!”

“Who was ‘them’?”

“Everyone around Arthur…” Alfred answered, his voice deepening as his eyes darkened, “They were all trying to keep him away from me, so, I felt the need to get rid of them. And as I became more and more stressed, the worse I became and the more drastic my methods became…”

Alfred’s honesty did nothing but terrify Arthur, and every word had the Englishman leaning further and further out of his chair, he was certain that he was going to faint.

“What would have you done if you had Arthur to yourself?”

With this question, Arthur held on tighter to the hand he was holding, bracing himself for what was coming.

“Heh… What wouldn’t I do? It’d be like Christmas every day if I could wake up next to him. I was willing to tie him to a chair and keep him there until he promised to not run away. I want him so bad, I’m willing to do anything, anything to keep him as mine and mine alone…” Alfred explained before resting his elbow on the table of the stand, before resting his hand in the palm of his hand, “I wanna marry him, love him, have kids with him, grow old and then die with him…”

Suddenly, Arthur froze when Alfred’s eyes settled directly on him, catching him like a butterfly in a net. Alfred’s glare was dark, even predatory, like the American was picturing leaping from the stand and pouncing on him there, devouring Arthur whole into his arms, where no one would be able to stop him… It sent a shiver down Arthur’s spine, like he had just felt Alfred breathe down his neck… It left Arthur wondering for the millionth time: why did he never see Alfred for who he truly was?

“Arthur… Look into my eyes…” Alfred moaned, raising himself slightly from his seat, startling the whole courtroom, “We can have the perfect life together, baby, I swear, I promise, just give me one shot—I can make you so happy! You and I will be together forever! I’m not going to give up on you! Or us! I won’t stop! PLEASE!”

“Alfred, be seated!” The judge roared, making Alfred freeze before lowering himself back into his seat.

“Please, recount the day that Francis Bonnefoy was murdered…”

Suddenly, Alfred’s eyes narrowed and he stared down at his hands, “I was at my limit… I hadn’t seen Arthur in over a week because he shut himself out not long after Gilbert was arrested… I was pissed, upset and desperate. Every thought was occupied with finding a way to get to Arthur, nothing mattered to me anymore… I was an entirely different person, and was not in the right frame of mind at all, so I didn’t care what I had to do. God, I needed Arthur like I needed oxygen… I was desperate and needy, even more than I am right now. Honey…” The pet name immediately made Arthur’s hairs stand on end. “I needed you so badly, I killed someone.” Instantly, the tears returned to Arthur’s eyes as a soft smile curved around Alfred’s lips, “I’m so sorry, baby, he was in the way, I just couldn’t stop it.”  

“Alfred, please focus,” The Lawyer cautioned, milking the insanity defence. Arthur felt like he was going to be sick, if the jury thinks that he’s insane and was insane when killing Francis, he will be found not guilty! “When did you see Francis that day?”

“I was at Arthur’s door,” Alfred admitted, “I was at his door, trying to get in, Arthur wasn’t answering and I was so close to being at the point where I was going to break it down and take what I wanted. I had my forehead against the door, calling out to Arthur to let me in… But then, Francis pulled me away and started yelling at me, but I didn’t give a fuck anymore, I demanded to see Arthur.”

“Do you believe he was suspicious of you?”

“Yeah, he was. I could see it in his eyes, he knew, but he didn’t say anything because he was scared of pointing the finger and being wrong…” Alfred explained, even daring to chuckle.

Arthur felt himself sink further into his chair, his heart falling into his stomach as he paled, realising that Francis probably saved Arthur that day… What would have happened to Arthur if Francis wasn’t there to stop Alfred from getting into his room? Arthurs worst nightmares would have probably come true…

“He ordered me to leave, and so I did… But I planned to sneak back into the dorms and get back to Arthur’s room without Francis seeing me. I… I remember trying to climb up a tree, but that didn’t work. And Francis stole my phone.”

“When?”

“I put my bag down so I could climb up a tree and get back into the dorms, but it didn’t work and so I had to come back down,” Alfred admitted, “While I was up the tree, he looked through my bag and took my phone. I knew that he was suspicious over my phone and photos, so I wasn’t shocked that he went for that... That’s where he’d find all of his evidence.”  

“What kind of evidence?”

“My photos,” Alfred admitted, “I had thousands of photos of Arthur on my phone…”

“Are those photos available?” The Judge asked.

“Yes, your honour,” The attorney replied, “There are nearly 3000 of them. I have them sized and printed on papers, if you would like to see them.”

“Please,” The Judge asked, before the court officer took some sheets of paper from the attorney, before bringing them up to the Judge. Arthur watched as the Judge’s face paled as they looked through the pieces of paper, where from where he sat, Arthur could see the small blocks of photos spaced nearly on the pieces of A4 paper. “This is… Hm… Share it with the Jury.” Following this request, the officer took the photos back before taking them to the jury.

“I never deleted one,” Alfred explained, “I spent nights I couldn’t sleep looking through them, thinking about him and what I want to do with him… Mm, those photos gave me so many happy endings.”

The smile Alfred gave Arthur made the Englishman want to disappear, thoughts of every nightmare he had came back to him with a vengeance, ready to haunt Arthur and made him regret ever being born. The coldness in Alfred’s eyes could be felt from where Arthur sat, the hands that were holding Arthur closely suddenly felt unwelcome and predatory, like Alfred was the one holding him, instead of Francis’ distraught mother.

“So… I confronted him about stealing my phone, and he confronted me about being so suspicious… I was done pretending for him, he didn’t deserve any of my effort. So, I was honest with him…” Alfred explained, a sick smile curving his lips, in a way that sent a shiver down Arthur’s spine. “I told him everything…”

“How did he react?”

“Shocked, of course… But he knew that he was right… He then started to rant, calling me a whole bunch of names. Hell, the guy even tried to analyse me, asking things like ‘Arthur rejects your letters, how does that make you feel?’ and shit, he was a psychology student to the very end, I guess…” Alfred explained, scratching the top of his head like he was recounting his shopping list, not the day of a murder… It made Arthur want to scream, what kind of monster takes this so casually?! This is about Francis; how could Alfred really not care!? But, Arthur realised that he knew why…

Alfred was obsessed with Arthur, and that’s the only thing the American had put any effort into. Perhaps he truly is insane, but even if that is so; Arthur is not going to let Alfred get away with his crimes without a guilty charge. It wouldn’t feel right.

“What was it about Francis that set him apart from the others, why him and not Ivan?”

“Because he got on too many of my nerves… He was untouchable and he knew it! He could have Arthur all to himself and he flaunted it! The way he looked at Arthur made my blood boil—and how he hogged him made me want to scream, he’s lucky I didn’t snap sooner! Arthur should have been with me, not him!” Alfred wheezed as he leaned back further into his chair, revealing his trembling hands as he growled through his teeth, “He was constantly around him or holding onto him—greedy bastard, purposely kept Arthur from me too many times! It drove me crazy, absolutely fucking crazy!” By this point, Alfred had started to heave, like he was about to launch a whole new attack as his eyes stared right into Alfred’s soul, leaving the Englishman stunned where he sat, like a fly caught in a web. “And then he wanted to take Arthur away from me for good, I wasn’t going to let him get away with that! If he wanted to take Arthur from me, he’d have to pry him from my cold fucking dead arms!! I WASN’T GOING TO LOSE TO HIM!”

“Alfred! Calm!” The Lawyer exclaimed, “You still haven’t finished recalling the day that Francis died, continue, what happened after he learned that you are Arthur’s stalker?”

“He tried to get past me, but I didn’t let him, so I chased him into the forest…” Alfred recalled, grimacing as he crossed his arms over his chest, holding himself tightly, like he was finally talking about something that mattered to him, like he was finally going to take this seriously, “It didn’t take long before he got caught in a hidden root, and broke his ankle…”

Arthur’s eyes widened, imaging the shocking scene with a paling face as even the lawyer stuttered, “Go on…”

“He was stuck, trapped by his ankle,” Alfred continued. Arthur’s vision blurred as the tears returned, brought upon by the mental image of his best friend lying in the snow, crying out in pain as Alfred, the wolf, approached him. It seemed that Francis’ parents weren’t doing well either, as Arthur could hear the muffled sobs of Francis’ mother against his father’s shoulder.

“What were you feeling?”

“All I could think about was Arthur, and… And if I let Francis go, I was going to lose him…” Alfred explained, “I couldn’t stop myself, I feel to my knees next to Francis, and after speaking to him, I put my hands around his throat…  and…”

Arthur crumbled just imagining it, and seeing how well it fit with the marks left behind on Francis’ body…

“What did you say to him?” The Lawyer asked.

Alfred slowly looked up towards the ceiling, before sighing as he closed his eyes, obviously returning to the memory, then the American recited, “Nothing personal. I just can’t lose Arthur… You love him too, don’t you?”

“Is that what you said to him?”

“Yes. And then I choked him,” Alfred admitted, choking on his own words, speaking like he knew he could breathe the sooner he got the words out in the open. But even admitting this, Alfred could not be free from his sins, never, in Arthur’s eyes. “I… Then I… I pulled him for around a mile before trying to hide him…”

Arthur finally broke, and his head fell into his hands, and Arthur tried so hard to not cry too loudly, because he knew he needed to stay, he needed to stay for Francis and see this through to the very end.

“I’m guessing your state of mind wasn’t much better than it is now?”

“No, back then I was worse, way worse…” Alfred sighed, immediately calming down, of which left a sinking feeling in Arthur’s stomach, “I couldn’t think, I, I was a compete madman—hah, I haven’t gotten much better…”

“Did you disclose your obsession with Arthur to anyone before the murder of Francis Bonnefoy?”

“No, but I wanted to…” Alfred sighed, before looking into the audience, where Arthur’s eyes followed him. Quickly, Arthur realised who Alfred was looking at, “I wanted to tell Matt… I had so many chances to, and I wanted to so bad, but…” Arthur watched Matthew crumble, his lips trembled as he started to cry all over again. “But I knew he’d only say what I didn’t want to hear… And he’d take Arthur away from me. It was all me, all my fault. He didn’t see anything because I didn’t want him to.”  

The lawyer went quiet, before finally asking, “Do you think you can be helped…?”

“I don’t know if I want to be,” Alfred admitted, smiling widely at his lawyer, “I don’t know if I can. You’d have to ask the psychologist about that. Although, I’d do anything… If it improved my chances with Arthur…”

Arthur nearly got out of his seat, he was so tempted to run to Alfred just to punch him in the face! How dare he! How dare he even think that Alfred still had the slightest chance with him! Arthur wanted to scream, why would Alfred still even want anything to do with Arthur, after all of this?! Was he really still this deluded?

Finally, the lawyer and attorney were done questioning Alfred, and the final pieces of evidence were presented, and the Sheriff testified against Alfred by describing his arrest at the international airport.

Arthur could only watch and listen to the rest of the court proceedings, and the reality that everything hung in the balance of the what the jury decides. It’s going to be the jury who decides whether Alfred is found guilty or innocent… Granted, Alfred will not walk free without consequences, even if he’s found innocent by reason of insanity—he won’t be free. But him being found innocent would not only be a slap in the face to Arthur and Francis, but all of the effort and pain everyone had gone through because of him. If Alfred is found innocent, Arthur will make Alfred’s life hell for what he’s done…

\-----

The jury could have gone either way, and before Arthur knew it, the trial reached the point where the jury were left to decide… During their contemplation, Arthur found himself sitting alone, watching groups of lawyers and police walk by, on their way to other trials or to do more important things…

Arthur just needed to be alone, so he sat on the outskirts of the meeting area, where spectators, courtroom reports and other members of the court were having a break or drinking and eating from the table of refreshments.

Checking his phone, Arthur saw the large amount of news notifications that had come to his phone during the trial, and as he expected with the news breaking that Alfred had plead not guilty by reason of insanity, the news notifications were punctual and loud with their explanations of the trial. Arthur couldn’t even bring himself to read them, he didn’t want to know what the media was speculating… He was even studying to be a journalist himself, so he could guess what the stories was about—Especially the one titled ‘Stalking victim breaks down during testimony’. 

“Hey…” A voice said as a new figure took the seat next to Arthur, pulling him out of his loneliness. Arthur looked up at him, smiling softly when he saw Matthew looking down at him, with eyes that were like windows; showing Arthur all of the pain he harboured inside of him with one look alone. Matthew was dressed nicely and similar to Arthur, wearing black business pants and a black business shirt and a black tie, if someone didn’t know the situation: they’d think that the young man was attending a funeral.

“Hey…” Arthur replied.

“How are you feeling?” Matthew asked, smiling through his pain as he looked at Arthur.

“Not too good…” Arthur answered, honestly. He has never been afraid of Matthew, although, he was slightly apprehensive due to his relationship with Alfred, but since the trial; Arthur couldn’t help but think differently.

“I’m sorry…”

“It’s not your fault,” Arthur pointed out, looking to Matthew as his head fell into his hands. Arthur could already tell that his words hadn’t reached Matthew, as he despair in his eyes had not faltered as he turned to look at Arthur from his position. He knew what Matthew was feeling, he was blaming himself too, and it was eating him up inside. “It isn’t.”  

“I know…” Matthew sighed, but his eyes said differently, “I just… I was so close to Alfred, I should have known that he was doing this shit. I should have seen it… He’s my brother…”

Arthur sighed, he wanted to tell Matthew that there was no other way he could have known, but Arthur understood that it wasn’t going to help. Because he was going through the same feelings of dread and guilty, all because of Alfred.

“I guess I know what you’re feeling…” Arthur sighed.

“But…” Matthew murmured, “You couldn’t have known at all, I was the one who knew Alfred better than anyone.”

“Well, Alfred didn’t do all of this out of ‘love’ for you,” Arthur muttered, fiddling with his fingers as he felt Matthew’s gaze change. “He did all of this shit because of me, because he wanted my attention… Did you ever think I was encouraging him, did I smile at him to much? What did I do wrong?!” Arthur could feel his panic attack approach him like a tornado coming to touch the ground, where he knew that it would swallow him whole. “He did all of this because of me—do you think it’s my fault Francis is dead too!? He did it because of me!!”

“Don’t you dare,” Matthew hissed, placing his hand on Arthur’s arm as Arthur started to shake, his panic attack washing over him like a tsunami, washing away any courage that Arthur had built.

“But—He—” Arthur stuttered, breaking into tears as he tried to fight off Matthew’s grip, knowing that he was about to scream.

Matthew seemed to realise this, and so he quickly let go of Arthur, and said in a calm voice, “Arthur… What Alfred did isn’t your fault… You’re a victim…”

“But he did it for me,” Arthur pointed out, “Guilt by association.”

“But you didn’t want it. You didn’t ask him to do any of this.” Matthew explained, before he pulled Arthur in closer, “You’re a victim here. And… I’m so sorry that this has happened to you, I really wish it was different.”

“I know… Me too…” Arthur sighed before breathing deeply, feeling the panic attack subside, for now.

“It’s ok, I know it’ll be ok…” Matthew whispered, but even in his state, Arthur could hear the despair in Matthew’s voice. “I’m so sorry…”

“But you didn’t do anything.”

“But that’s what I did wrong,” Matthew muttered.

\--------

Arthur’s heart was in his throat as he watched the jury settle into their seats. But, despite his fear, Arthur was ready to hear the verdict. He was ready to see if his exposure was worth it…

Oh God, Francis, please… Please make him be guilty… Arthur prayed as he closed his eyes, tightening the grip he had on the hand of Francis’ mother, feeling her hand squeeze his back.

Arthur felt like he was about to vomit—he was so anxious and scared, he wanted—no, he needed Alfred to be found guilty. He wouldn’t be able to rest if Alfred was found not guilty, it would be an insult to Francis. He didn’t deserve this.

Arthur’s world was crashing down around him as the air around him became thick and heavy, as he pushed himself to open his eyes.

He knew in his heart that Alfred was guilty, that he was guilty and not even the insanity plea could save him, Alfred knew what he was doing and he knew that it was wrong… Francis should not have died, he should not be buried in France at that very moment. But even still, Arthur could imagine his best friend sitting right next to him, poking him for attention, or listening to his fears… He needed that support so badly, he wasn’t sure of how he was going to live on without it.

But, Arthur knew that he wasn’t going to let Alfred destroy him, not now, not ever. He refused to let his stalker walk all over him, and the fact that his stalker was someone he trusted did not change this. He could not bow to his fear of Alfred, and so, he tightened his face as he glanced at Alfred, seeing that his eyes were fixed onto the main juror as well.

Although, Arthur could at least have confidence that he was not going to see Alfred again after this, he was not going to let Alfred see him again—perhaps that’d even help Alfred’s ‘recovery’ if he ever choses to take it. He still could not believe the way that Alfred’s obsession was described, and it will never fail to. Alfred had described him like he was something to be won—but, if Alfred ‘won’ then that would have meant that Arthur lost.  

“Have you reached a verdict?” The Judge asked, intrigued to find the rests of the juries two and a half hours of deliberation.

Then, the foreperson of the jury stood, his hands linked before his stomach as he announced, “Yes, we have. We the jury, find the accused, Alfred Jones, guilty of second-degree murder.”

Arthur gasped, wanting to jump from his seat as he felt the blood rush through his entire body. The sensation was almost completely foreign to him, he had nearly forgotten what it felt like to be relieved. He could finally breathe again, knowing that Alfred was not getting away with anything that he had done.

Then the Clerk announced, “Members of the jury, hearken to your verdict as the court does record it. You find the accused Alfred Jones guilty. This is your verdict, so say you all. Please stand to confirm your verdict.” And to Arthur’s amazement, all members of the jury stood from their seats, as Alfred crumbled, falling back into his seat with wide eyes and a stuck jaw, like he couldn’t believe it himself.

The judge then continued, turning their attention to Alfred, and Alfred returned the stare of the judge, and for the first time during the entire trial, Alfred looked afraid. “Alfred Jones, you have been found guilty of the offence of second-degree murder.” Arthur was too relived to even understand what was going on, he was so happy that he burst into tears as he felt the people around him buzz in relief, Francis can finally rest in peace now.

“Defence, do you have anything to say?” The Judge asked, and Alfred’s lawyer was quick to respond.

“Yes, your Honour. Alfred comes from a good family and has been through a lot in his childhood. He suffers from his obsession as well, and so, we ask, no: beg, that you consider that he serves his sentence in the care of a facility, where he can properly learn from his mistakes.”

The Judge frowned as they looked at Alfred, reading the Americans blank expression, “Alfred Jones, please stand. You have been found guilty of a serious criminal offence and must not take these proceedings lightly. There is a lot to consider before an amount is finalised for your sentencing. However, you have never been in trouble before and could benefit from rehabilitation. But, I feel that you do not understand the suffering you have caused everyone in your life. You have stolen the life of a bright young man, and ruined others, all in the pursuit of a deluded and sick form of love… Therefore, I say that you should spend time both in prison, and in a state-run mental institution. You can be treated for your delusional and aggressive behaviour, followed by a prison sentence, where you will feel the full impact of what you have done.”

Arthur wondered whether recovery was even a possibility for Alfred—could he really change enough to realise what he had done to Arthur, and everyone around him? He thought about how hard Alfred had fought to try to ‘keep him,’ would Alfred really be able to reverse his behaviours? While Arthur did doubt it, he was not going to be the one to say so to the judge, as the entire courtroom rose as the Judge made their exit. 

Alfred then suddenly looked back at Arthur, with eyes likened to a child looked for help, like he wanted to scream for Arthur but he couldn’t budge from the stillness brought upon by fear. The baby blue colour in Alfred’s eyes were stunning and hypnotic, even for Arthur, whom had done nothing but suffer for the past year and a half because of him. But, Arthur felt nothing, he couldn’t feel anything anymore for Alfred… However, he noticed the absence of one feeling more than anything else, Arthur was not afraid of him in the slightest, and he knew that he was no longer going to be the victim of Alfred’s obsessive love…

 


End file.
